Little Prince
by MadnessJones
Summary: G1 AU. Orion and Ariel lost their sparkling and nearly lost their lives due to the actions of Megatron. They are not the only ones who remember this. Their son survived, and has allowed hatred, revenge, and power to corrupt his processor. Is there anything left of their son worth redeeming? Optimus/Elita
1. Reach For The Stars

_Author's Notes: This new fic was not the one that won the popular vote (that was the movieverse fic, and I will eventually get to it). I had to post this first chapter though! My brother and his wife just had their first child, and this fic is my way of celebrating! The theme was too perfect, and I wrote this chapter a month ago so I figured post it now! I hope everyone likes this one, as I intend to make it one of my best stories yet! Please review, favorite, and/or follow :)_

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Chapter 1

Reach For The Stars

The night was still, and the femmes felt the strain of starvation as they set about their task. Energon was scarce, and Megatron hoarded most of the supplies at his fortress in Darkmount. Elita One and her crew had to be careful as they snuck along the wall that would give them entrance to Megatron's lair. Moonracer ran ahead and scouted to see if the coast was clear. She gave the signal, and the rest of the Autobot femmes followed her over the gate.

Elita One kept her gun trained just in case an enemy drone or Decepticon soldier happened to spot them. The Autobots needed the energy, and every unit needed to give their all to keep their dying race alive. The Decepticons had killed most of the Autobots on the planet, and assimilated what few Autobot defectors and sparklings they deemed worthy of their cause. Elita pushed those thoughts away. Thinking about the past was only going to slow her down now.

Firestar busted the head of a drone over her knee, and they went inside without further incident. The femmes hid in the shadows, which was surprisingly easy. Ever since the power shortage the buildings wouldn't illuminate at night; leaving only the stars to bear witness to their daring act of espionage. Elita sighed, and once again pushed away any unpleasant memories. Optimus was counting on her, the Autobots were counting on her, and all of Cybertron was counting on her. She couldn't afford to screw up this mission.

The femmes stalked along in the shadows until they made it to the energon storage depository. The glowing purple cubes were some of the most beautiful things Elita had seen in a long time. When she was younger she never would've imagined that something as simple as energy would look so mystical to the point of being otherworldly, but starvation did strange things to the processor.

"Careful," Elita whispered to the others, "Megatron's subcommander Shockwave has cameras everywhere. We need to perform a passive scan."

"On it," Firestar replied; turning on the scanner in her wrist, "...There's a camera in front of the door, but no other defenses. Arcee can handle that one."

Arcee nodded before Firestar was even finished talking and quickly slunk over to the camera just out of its range of vision. She pulled a pistol out of subspace and looked around. When she was sure no one unfriendly was watching, she smiled with an almost manic countenance and blasted the camera into scrap metal!

"That youngling really needs to watch herself," Chromia remarked, "She'll get herself killed one of these days if she isn't careful."

"Everyone is reckless when they're young," Elita reminded her, "Besides, she is good at her job."

Arcee grinned wide in triumph and motioned for everyone else to join her. They silently made their way to the energon cubes. They wouldn't take everything; only what they needed. Hopefully the Decepticons wouldn't even notice. Firestar transformed into cargo hauler mode and the others loaded her up with as much energon as she could carry. Elita just hoped the other teams were doing as well as they were, but she doubted it given the dire circumstances.

They were almost finished loading when Chromia stopped what she was doing and put down her cube. Everyone looked and saw her optics were dim and staring off into space, which meant she was on her comm link. When she ended the transmission everyone looked at her to see what was going on.

"That was Wheeljack," Chromia informed them, "He and Bumblebee only managed to get two energon rods. _Orange_ …" Everyone made a face at that since orange energon usually tasted awful. "The Decepticons still chased them down."

"Well, that explains why they weren't here," Moonracer pointed out.

"Girls...Wheeljack says they're enacting Operation: Ark," Chromia said ominously.

Most of the newer recruits didn't know what that meant, but Elita and her senior officers were only too aware of what Operation: Ark entailed. Optimus and his elite group of Autobots were _leaving_. They would seek out new sources of energon out in space. He was leaving…

"We have to go after them," Elita One said resolutely.

"We'll never make it in time with all these energon cubes," Firestar pointed out.

"We have to go!" Chromia insisted, "We might still have time before Optimus Prime and the others take off. My Ironhide is on that ship! We'll have to hurry though."

"Agreed, Chromia," Elita One replied sagely before she transformed into car mode and took off.

She had to make it to the Ark before it was too late. As if this day wasn't depressing enough! Now Elita not only had to deal with a grim anniversary and Decepticons everywhere, but now her spark mate might actually leave without her!

* * *

5 million years prior in the city-state of Iacon a young Elita One, then named Ariel, sat on a bench in the Crystal Gardens and wept. She and Orion Pax had been dating for quite a while, but the news she had might cause him to leave her forever. This was possibly the worst day of her life!

She had asked him to meet her in the Crystal Gardens because of the beautiful view. She hoped telling him her news here might make him take it easier. The bench she was on was at the top of the cliff that overlooked the golden spires of the city, and the stars shone brightly in the sky from this vantage point. Surely Orion couldn't hate her when looking at all this splendor!

She heard footsteps against the steel path and saw Orion Pax walking toward her. He was so handsome with his blue helmet, red blue and white body, and full silver lips. He could be a bit possessive at times, but not in a crazy stalker way. More in a white knight sort of way. Her father thought Orion was a loser because he worked in the loading docks, but she always reminded him that she worked in those docks, too. That usually shut him up for a few minutes. Ariel's father wanted her to bond to a member of a higher caste, but she knew mechs of high stature and clout never gave blue collar femmes a second glance. She didn't dream of gemstones and energon baths. Orion had everything she wanted in a mech.

Ariel wiped away the cleaning fluid from her optics. She didn't want Orion to know she had been crying.

"Hey, Ariel," Orion greeted her cheerfully, "Wow, I can see why you wanted to meet me here tonight. The sky looks so perfect from here! Oh, I got the energon you wanted. So, where do we set up for our moonlight picnic?"

"Um, can it wait for a moment, Orion? I need to tell you something…" Ariel said hesitantly.

"Sure Ariel, what is it?" Orion asked as he looked at her with concern.

"Well Orion, I've been having trouble processing energy lately, and I've had a weird feeling in my spark," Ariel told him without looking at him, "I went to see a medic about it, and...well...Orion, I'm carrying."

"Carrying? You mean...A _newspark_?" Orion asked in awe.

"I'm so sorry, Orion!" Ariel sobbed, "I know we're broke, and I know we're not bonded yet, and I know my father is going to be so angry at us! I know we didn't plan for this, and I know you probably don't want to be responsible for a sparkling. If you leave me, I don't know what I'll do. Please Orion...Just say something…"

Ariel knew crying wouldn't help anything, but she couldn't control herself this time. She was normally much stronger than this, but a sparkling meant they would need money, a bigger place where they could all live together, and a spark bond so they could share their energy with one another and with the sparkling. She felt like their lives were ruined, and she could lose Orion Pax for this.

Finally, after she calmed down a little, Orion said something…

"We're going to have a sparkling?" Orion asked, still slightly in shock, "I'm going to be a _father_?"

Ariel was almost afraid to look at him, but the gentle tone in his voice made her want to face him. When she did, she saw optics that were full of love and wonderment. He walked up to her and pulled her into an embrace. She rested her helm on his shoulder, and he hugged her tighter.

"Ariel...This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to us…" Orion said softly as he held onto her, "We're going to be parents."

Orion then pushed her back enough so that they were face to face, and he kissed her tenderly. Ariel finally realized that he really did love her, and began to understand that this sparkling wasn't the end of their relationship, but rather a new beginning.

Orion looked up at the stars and said "I hope someday our creation is able to fly up there and reach the stars for himself. I only wish I could give our newspark the life he or she deserves…"

Orion was quiet after that as he stared up at the night sky. Ariel smiled indulgently at him. She knew Orion was a hopeless romantic and idealist. She also knew of his love and fascination with the sky. He had always had the dream of being able to fly, but his frame type wouldn't allow for it.

* * *

Elita One's memory files replayed that starry night. Such beauty had quickly turned to misery, and Cybertron's once shimmering skies were now dark and filled with the ugliness of Decepticon soldiers patrolling and hunting for their heads.

Elita and her forces drove along the roads from Polyhex leading to Iacon, where the Ark was located. It took a quarter joor to make it to Iacon, and the roads were torn to pieces due to weapons fire and land mines. When they made it to Iacon they could see the billows of smoke emanating from the destroyed buildings, and the stench of burning metallic corpses filled the air.

"Elita, I see seekers headed for the main hangar!" Chromia informed her.

"Push the pedal to the metal, ladies. We have to get there before our troops are vaporized," Elita replied with authority.

When they made it to the entrance, the femmes transformed into their robot modes and started firing on the Decepticons. The air gave the seekers an advantage, but the femmes had combat experience and teamwork on their side. Well, the seekers had those things too. Honestly it didn't look too good for the femmes.

"I got one!" Moonracer announced triumphantly.

"Great, one down and about 50 to go," Chromia groused as she aimed for another trine.

The femmes held their ground against the Deceptions for a good few minutes, but they stopped when they heard and felt the loud rumble of engines coming from inside the hangar. The ship was leaving!

"Get inside!" Elita One ordered over the sounds of the ship.

The femmes wasted no time in running inside the hangar, but the Decepticons flew in hot pursuit of the Autobots. Elita One and her crew made it inside in time to see Optimus about to board the ship after making sure everyone else was on board first.

"Optimus, wait!" Elita One hollered as she desperately ran for him.

"Take cover, Elita!" Optimus shouted worriedly, "I will return for you as soon as we can!"

"I want to go with you!" Elita insisted.

"It's too dangerous, Elita! Go back!" Optimus cried out frantically.

Just then the seekers broke through the barrier and started firing on the ship, the femmes, and Optimus Prime! Laser fire peppered the atmosphere with the smell of ozone and a couple of femmes were shot down in cold energon!

There were screams, and Optimus Prime couldn't see anything for the smoke. Elita tried to find her troops, or the enemy, or anything. That was when she felt the ground beneath her feet give way, and she and the other femmes plummeted down into the underground!

Elita could hear Optimus Prime scream her name, but she was too bad a shape to even call out to him. The last thing she saw before blacking out was the Ark flying away in search of new sources of energon. It was the Autobots' last chance to not starve to death.

"That's right...my love…" Elita One croaked as she faded into stasis lock, "...Reach for the stars…"


	2. Our Darkest Hour

_Author's Notes: This chapter is yet more of Elita One's POV, but the next chapter will revolve more around Optimus's POV as well as the Decepticons. I'm very happy with the initial positive response to this fic. You guys are a great audience, and the reason I keep writing these stories. Please review, favorite, and follow to see more :)_

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Chapter 2

Our Darkest Hour

The femmes survived, but the world they inherited from their Prime was a devastated one. Elita One appointed Ultra Magnus as the second in command of the Autobot forces, and organized the troops in Iacon to keep them hidden from Shockwave. Soon Optimus would return...or Megatron would. They knew the battle for their world was surely being fought beyond their skies and out in space. Until then, Elita One was their leader, and the wise old Alpha Trion was her adviser.

Elita One was a strong-willed femme and considered more of a realist than Optimus Prime, but this new position was more than she ever thought she'd have, and though she led her people with grace and determination the burden still took its toll on her. She now knew how Orion must've felt when he was named Prime shortly after his reconstruction. Being rebuilt was weird for her as well, and at first Elita hated the large new helmet she had, but overall she knew her new body and outlook was an improvement over the silly and weak girl she used to be.

The orns turned to deca-orns, and the deca-orns turned to vorns. Time sped by, and there was no word from anyone. The Autobots never contacted them. The only solace they could take was Blurr's intelligence gathering missions that informed them that Megatron's forces had not contacted Shockwave either.

Shockwave was a different sort of creature that Megatron, but no less deadly. While Megatron enjoyed the spectacle of burning cities to the ground and publicly executing his enemies, Shockwave cared more about efficiently forcing Cybertron to accept Decepticon rule. He often sent out lifeless drones to do his bidding while he stayed behind in the guard tower at Darkmount and worked on experiments designed to either produce energon or kill Autobots.

Some said Shockwave was so reclusive because he was a coward. Others said he stayed behind to guard a terrible secret weapon. Elita's theory was that Shockwave simply couldn't fathom a world without Megatron, and was staying in that tower to await the day when Megatron would issue further orders for the purple cyclops. In a way, it was kind of sad.

Elita would not cave in to such sentimentality. It was clear that both forces were lost forever. They had likely killed each other, and therefore were never coming back. Her bondmate was never coming back. She had accepted that a long time ago, and now she was married to the Autobot cause and to Cybertron. Whatever it took to free her people, she would do.

At first the femmes and mechs stayed together and fought together. Ultra Magnus had stayed on the north side of Iacon with his troops while Elita One stayed on the south side to coordinate their soldiers coming in and out of the city-state. All was not exactly well, but everyone was adjusting as best as they could.

That all changed when seekers invaded Iacon one vorn. There were hundreds of them; enough to cover the sky! The Autobots were outnumbered but fought them off valiantly. Eventually the Autobots fought them off and kept their city, but something about the attack seemed unusual. A disproportionate amount of femmes died in the battle, and it seemed that the Decepticons went out of their way to kill femmes specifically. That seemed odd, so Elita One ordered Blurr to find out what Shockwave wanted from this attack.

It was worse than the Autobots feared. It was orders given by Megatron before he left Cybertron that were being posthumously honored by Shockwave. Megatron had ordered _all_ Autobot femmes to be extinguished once Vector Sigma was shut down by Alpha Trion! Alpha Trion kept the key to Vector Sigma hidden away to keep new Decepticons from being born, and Megatron somehow knew that was what the old 'Bot would do. Megatron didn't want Autobots to be able to produce merge-spark younglings, so he ordered the genocide of all Autobot femmes!

The worst part was that Decepticon sentry drones were kept on constant watch around Vector Sigma. If the Autobots went back there with the key, the Decepticons would simply take it and use Vector Sigma to build their own army of newsparks. There was nothing the Autobots could do, and it seemed as if Megatron's final legacy would be the extinction of their species.

Part of Elita One wanted to go to Shockwave to try to talk some sense into him, but she knew it was pointless. He was a devoted follower of the departed warlord, and nothing would change his processor now. Their race was doomed to kill each other in a war that had lost its purpose.

When Alpha Trion realized that the femmes were the most vulnerable to Shockwave, he insisted on building a new secret headquarters just for them in order to keep them safe. Elita One had objected at first, stating that all healthy Autobots were needed to survive.

"Exactly," Alpha Trion had said via a holographic projection of his head in her room, "The Autobots need to survive, and without you we won't. You and the other female Autobots must keep hidden. We are not dead yet, and we must be smart about this. Don't worry Elita One, we will survive. Until all are one."

Elita One bowed respectfully before the image cut off. She was technically leader, but she didn't know what she would do without Alpha Trion's guidance. He was like a father to her, and deep down she knew he was right. It was just hard to not be able to solve this problem and to have to force her femme troops to hide like retro rats. Still, she knew Optimus wouldn't want her to wallow in self-pity. She needed to prepare her femmes for the new transition.

* * *

The new HQ was...cozy. Yeah, that was a nice word for it. Cozy. And dirty. Very, _very_ dirty. It was literally a hole in the ground, or more specifically an old energon filtration tube that cut off at a dead end thanks to loads of rubble. Alpha Trion had chosen this location because it was the most unassuming place he could find.

"Nice place," Chromia said sarcastically as she looked around at the dark and dusty location, "The industrial waste gives it such a modern look."

"Look on the bright side," Firestar said wryly, "It's still less cluttered than Alpha Trion's home and laboratory."

"Hey, Alpha Trion might be a pack rat, but at least he isn't ankle-deep in sludge right now," Moonracer pointed out as she shook her pedes to remove some of the slimy substances.

Elita sighed, but she knew this was the best they could do. Shockwave constantly sent scouts to monitor the city, so they had to be careful. They would clean the base out during the city's enforced curfew and during active hours would work on fixing the old computers and equipment leftover from their old base. They were the only ones left who could bring forth life to a new generation, and they couldn't afford to be careless anymore.

 _New life_...Elita Always hated thinking about sparklings. It brought back too many memories. They were beautiful memories once, but without her son and without her wonderful sparkmate they only served to cause her more pain.

* * *

Orion was at Ariel's new apartment. She had finally moved out of her father's house, and soon Orion would join her. He still had to wait for his contract with his landlord to expire. He wasn't scheduled to move in until five orns after he and Ariel were to be bonded. It was weird that they wouldn't spend their wedding orn in the same place, but she could wait for him. She waited this long to find him in the first place.

At the moment, however, romance was the furthest thing from their processors. He was helping her decorate the nursery for their new sparkling. The spark had formed, and Ariel had it placed in a newspark chamber to await its protoform and processor. The chamber was small enough to fit in Ariel's hands, and yet held a life that would grow to be around 20 ft. tall! While some things were naturally coded like the colors and personality, there were still many decisions the parents had to make. What would his frame type be? Did the sparkling need any special upgrades? What designation were they going to program into him or her?

With Vector Sigma it was easier. The sparkling had everything programmed from the frame type to even their name. No decisions were made, and sometimes the sparkling had special abilities merge-sparks couldn't have. Ariel was starting to stress out over everything they had to do to prepare for the coming sparkling, and if it wasn't for Orion she would be an even bigger mess.

"Um, Ariel? Can we take a break?" Orion asked, "I moved a lot of furniture and could really use some energon."

"Oh, sure thing, sweetie," Ariel replied as she put down the curtains she was hanging.

Ariel led Orion to a chair in her living room. He tried to get back up to get his energon, but she insisted he sit down and let her get it. He knew that doting attitude wouldn't last, but he was grateful for it today. They had spent two joors working on that nursery, and he still had work in the morning.

"Hey Ariel, tomorrow's your day off, right?" Orion spoke loudly so she could hear him from the dispenser room.

"Yeah, I have to visit my father tomorrow to pick up the rest of my things," Ariel told him.

Ariel came back in with two small cubes of energon only half full. The rations were meager ever since the famine had forced the working classes to take severe cuts. Ariel tried not to think of it, and it didn't look like Orion was overly concerned either. He was a pretty easygoing mech about most things.

"Thanks," Orion said gratefully as he took his cube, "Um, wait. Do you need this? You expended a lot of energy on the newspark…"

"I released it two orns ago," Ariel reminded him as she shook her head bemusedly, "I'm fine. You need this as much as I do."

They drank their small amount of energon slowly and in silence. They wanted to savor what little they had, as well as savor each other's company.

"Ariel?" Orion piped up after a few minutes, "About your father. Does he still, uh...hate me?"

"Not exactly," Ariel replied honestly, "He doesn't like you yet, but give it time. He's very excited about the sparkling, though. Maybe once he sees what a good father you are he'll change his mind."

"Do you really think I'll be a good father?" Orion asked uncertainly, "We've never done this before. What if I'm…?"

"You'll be a wonderful father, Orion," Ariel reassured him.

"But I never had parents the way you do," Orion pointed out worriedly, "I was sparked from the Vector Sigma to be a dock worker. I've been doing the same thing my whole life. I was raised by one of the foreman who had a hundred others just like me and only cared about getting the job done. He wouldn't even let me call him father. What if I'm cold and distant because I don't know any other way?"

Ariel actually laughed at that, and Orion pouted and crossed his arms over the windshield on his chest.

"Do you _hear_ yourself?" Ariel said between giggle fits, "You're worried about being cold and distant? Have you ever been _any_ of those things with anyone? You're one of the most affectionate mechs I know. You could never treat your sparkling as a burden because you treat everyone with respect. That's just who you are, and our sparkling would be lucky to grow up to be just like you."

"You really think so, Ariel?" Orion asked, genuinely touched, and she nodded, "I love you so much."

"Oh, stop with the mushy stuff and let's watch some broadcasts," Ariel said lightly as she worked the remote.

She flipped through several channels. They ranged from the news to sports shows to international weather. Ariel was bored as she searched for a movie or something when Orion hollered for her to go back to a previous channel.

It was an air show. The show consisted of newly upgraded adult fliers going up against the new war-make models that were built to fly: the seekers. They danced along the clouds and twirled together in perfect unison. The seekers were naturally faster than the non-seekers, but all had a certain grace and balance to them.

"They're magnificent," Orion whispered wistfully as he looked at the screen; his optics filled with longing.

"You really wish you could fly, huh?" Ariel asked, though she knew the answer.

"Oh, I do," Orion replied; his voice filled with yearning, "I know it cannot be though. I'm not from a high enough caste to afford such an expensive upgrade. I guess it's a silly dream."

"It's not silly, Orion," Ariel replied, "Just know though that wings don't make the mech. Whether you fly in the sky or roll on the ground, you're still the same wonderful mech I've known and loved all these vorns. Besides, I don't think those new seekers are any better off than us. They're war-makes, and since Cybertron hasn't had a war since the Rust Age war-makes don't have a lot of opportunities. They have the same meager rations as the rest of us, and soon they will be seen as no better than we are. Just wait and see."

"I heard they reformatted Vos to accommodate the new fliers," Orion said in awe, "I saw it on a magazine cover. The city is filled with beautiful anti-gravity statues that can only be reached from the air. The city looks like a floating piece of crystal! I wish we could see it someday."

"We will," Ariel assured him, "We and our new sparkling."

* * *

Elita One forced herself from her thoughts. That memory wasn't special in any way, but it still hurt. At that time all they had to worry about was their low pay and their new sparkling.

He was gone. _They_ were gone. Her sparkling had been lost, her father had been lost, her bondmate had died off-planet trying to make a better world for Autobots everywhere, and she was left alone to pick up the crumbs of their society.

Well, if that was her lot in life, then Elita One would play her part and do whatever it took to assure the survival of the femmes under her command. Cybertron needed them, the Autobots needed them, and the universe needed them. If the Decepticons won Cybertron, then the universe would be sucked into the war that had all but wiped out her people. Elita One could not allow countless innocent beings to suffer such a fate.

With a determined look in her blue optics, she picked up a bunch of scrap and began to take it outside. This base would be clean by the end of the orn, and she would find a way to get more energon for her friends and troops. They would get through this even if they had to endure the wrath of Unicron himself.


	3. What Makes A Mech

_Author's Notes: Well, I hope this chapter turned out okay. I had trouble thinking of a good title for it since the two parts of this chapter have nothing to do with each other._

 _Also, in response to **CodenameAgentC** : Don't worry, I'm going to try to evenly make time for all of my stories. Also, yes, the newspark is a canon character :)_

* * *

Chapter 3

What Makes A Mech

Optimus Prime started his day in a very typical fashion. He woke up from recharge, he went to a nearby energon dispenser to grab breakfast, and he went to his office to sort requisitions and various other types of paperwork. The Ark needed reinforcement from Decepticon attacks, Wheeljack wanted more copper for a new project, and Prowl had sent a formal request for a new type of training exercise involving holographic simulations of seekers.

Prime sorted through the data pads and wished he could think of some excuse not to do this work right away. While Optimus always kept a stoic front for his mechs, he really hated office work. Normally this was Prowl's job, but Prowl was away on a search and rescue mission in Chicago after a Decepticon attack on the city. Why they were attacking Chicago of all places was anybody's guess.

Optimus had pawned off his office jobs for as long as he could remember. Even when he was a youngling and worked at the docks he always gave the paperwork jobs to his best friend Dion.

Sometimes Dion would cross his mind, and he really missed his old friend. Optimus had seen many deaths since the war began, but Orion had seen only one death, and it was the brutal murder of his best friend. Back then death was something that only occurred on Cybertron ever few thousand vorns. Death was rare and strange, and nobody thought that would ever change. The war made death common, but it was still as unnatural to Optimus now as it was then.

Suddenly he didn't feel like filing the damage reports for the boiler room, so he turned off his computer terminal and went out into the hallway. At that moment he really needed something to distract himself from the memories that threatened to engulf him.

He got his wish when he heard cheering coming from the room that housed Teletran 1. He wondered what it was that made his troops so happy, so he went out to see for himself. A crowd of 'Bots were gathered around Spike and Sparkplug, and Spike was on Bumblebee's shoulders and wearing a strange dark purple dress and square hat. This definitely warranted investigation.

"I take it there is good news?" Optimus asked with an amused tone.

"The best!" Spike proclaimed happily, "I finally graduated high school! I'm free!"

"Now son, just because you don't have to go to school anymore doesn't mean you're allowed to slouch around and do nothing," Sparkplug reminded him, "You still need to find a job and consider getting your own place. You might even want to think about college."

"I don't know Dad," Spike said hesitantly, "I think I'll save up the money I would have used for college and buy my own garage. Fixing cars is something I enjoy doing, and it's a service that people need."

"So does this mean you're officially an adult now?" Bumblebee asked innocently.

"More or less," Spike shrugged, "Though I don't really feel any different. Say, Carly and I are going to the beach this weekend to celebrate the beginning of summer. You wanna come along?"

"Sure thing, buddy!" Bumblebee said excitedly, "Earth beaches feel so warm and peaceful. This is going to be great!"

Optimus watched as mechs congratulated Spike and filled their cubes with energon. He wasn't sure he entirely understood the concept of the graduation, but he knew it meant Spike's studies were over. Apparently this was a big deal to humans.

Sparkplug broke away from the crowd of partying Autobots and went to the entrance of the room to stand beside Optimus. Optimus could tell from the man's face that he was beaming with pride.

"This must be an important day for you, Sparkplug," Optimus said cordially, "We are all proud of Spike, and I am grateful that you shared this moment with us."

"Of course we did, Optimus. You guys are family," Sparkplug said easily, "I'll tell you though, they grow up so fast. It seems like just yesterday Spike was 2 years old and dancing around naked on the front lawn. Now he's 18 and ready to start his own life. Soon he'll have a family of his own. It makes me feel so old."

"I see," Optimus nodded attentively, "So in 2.4 years Spike will be a quarter vorn old. A Cybertronian at that age would still be dependent on their creators for care and knowledge."

"You know, I've never asked you. Does your species even have kids?" Sparkplug asked, "I guess I never considered it because you're giant robots, but you're also aliens, so I guess anything is possible."

"I'm certain there are biological differences when it comes to the creation of new life," Optimus replied diplomatically, "But we do have young ones, commonly called sparklings. We have two ways to create sparklings. Well, three if you include cassette creation."

"Oh, yeah? How does that work?" Sparkplug asked as he reached into his cooler and popped open a beer.

"Well, the most common way Cybertronians used to create life was by going to Vector Sigma and requesting a spark for a freshly built protoform," Optimus explained, "In that case the parameters of personality and loyalty would have to be requested by the mech or femme that wanted the newspark. Sometimes Vector Sigma would bless a sparkling with a special ability that wasn't specified, but that was a rare occurrence. The other method was known as merge spark creation. This is when a mech and femme interface and exchange energy, and that energy turns into a spark in one of the participants. This method was often accidental."

" _Whoa_! Hold the phone for a second!" Sparkplug exclaimed, "You mean there's such a thing as Cybertronian women?"

"Yes, though they are quite rare now," Optimus said; a slight hint of sorrow in his voice, "Anyway, merge sparks work in the opposite manner of sigma sparks. Merge sparks start life as sparks and need to have bodies built for them while they incubate in a small chamber that keeps them alive. Sigma sparks only occur if the body has already been built for them."

"And that third way you mentioned?" Sparkplug asked.

"Ah yes, cassettes. These can only be created in the body of a carrier," Optimus explained, "Someone like Blaster or Soundwave. Cassettes usually start life as adults and can move and feed themselves independently. They would die without their carrier, however, and this never changes no matter how old they become. I haven't spoken of this in many years Sparkplug, but when I was young my bondmate and I created a newspark."

"Really? You have a kid, Prime?" Sparkplug asked curiously.

"No," Optimus replied ruefully, "I never even got to see my own son after he was born. My bondmate and I went to work just as we always did. She had left the newborn with her father, and I had been gone for an orn and a half shipping supplies for the company I worked for. I was going to meet my son for the first time that day after work, but it was not to be. Megatron attacked us, and our bodies were mangled beyond repair. Ariel and I were both rebuilt and survived, but by the time I came back to Iacon everything was burning to the ground. My son was gone…"

"Wow, I'm sorry Optimus. I had no idea," Sparkplug said apologetically, "No wonder you hate Megatron so much."

"My sparkling was only one of thousands that madmech has killed," Optimus replied bitterly, "I fight because Cybertron, earth, and countless other worlds are in danger so long as Megatron continues his savage crusade for power. The Decepticons destroy all they touch, and good people like you and your son deserve to have a chance for a real future. I promise you Sparkplug, we Autobots will not give up, and the Decepticons will never prevail again."

* * *

Megatron looked over the plans for the raid. A brand new power plant was opening in Shanghai. China. It was going to be one of the largest in the world, and all that new energy had the Decepticons' names all over it!

"You are certain your surveillance is accurate, Soundwave?" Megatron asked.

"Affirmative," Soundwave nodded respectfully, "No Autobots in vicinity of nuclear energy plant."

"It will never work!" Starscream harped for what had to be the third time that hour, "Why are we wasting our time on such a paltry prize? We should be going after guaranteed sources of energy, not this untested wreck!"

"Starscream…" Megatron chided Starscream; his voice giving a clear warning to the red and white seeker.

Starscream huffed but stopped whining for the moment. He continued to listen while Megatron and Soundwave conferred over this unreliable source of energon. He wanted to go back to his quarters and get some recharge, but Megatron refused to dismiss him. At this point he was sure Megatron was just torturing him.

"...Then it's settled," Megatron declared, and Starscream realized he had stopped listening at some point, "Starscream, you will take the elite trine and the secondary trine tomorrow morning to gather energon."

" _What_? I have to take the _Coneheads_?" Starscream complained, "But they're idiots! Why can't I use Astrotrain? His cargo hold is much bigger than a seeker's!"

"Oh, so now you think there's enough energon there for a large transport vehicle?" Megatron asked mockingly, "I thought you said, and I quote, there won't be enough energon at that plant to power Reflector's flash button."

Starscream growled, and he wanted to protest further, but he had run out of arguments to make. Obviously Megatron was purposefully giving him inferior cargo space to punish him for contradicting the plan. Starscream was often accused of being petty by his trinemates, but he believed Megatron was the truly petty one. If that overgrown pop gun wasn't so powerful Starscream would've killed him a long time ago.

"Yes Megatron, I did say that," Starscream muttered through gritted denta, "I guess I'll just use what I've got. Thank you for giving me this task, _Lord_ Megatron."

Starscream had said _Lord Megatron_ as sarcastically as he could, and he turned to go after getting the last word in, but things were never that easy...

Megatron grabbed Starscream roughly by his left wing and gripped it until there were dents in the extremely sensitive appendage!

"Not so fast, Starscream," Megatron hissed in Starscream's audio receptor, "You think you can disrespect me like that and get away with it?"

"N-No, Megatron!" Starscream sputtered fearfully; realizing he'd provoked the grey warlord too far once again, "I meant no disrespect! You're a brilliant leader! I'm sorry! I never do it agai-"

Starscream was thrown across the room and crashed into a computer monitor! The sparks got into his joints and hurt him, but he was almost afraid to get up. Maybe if he pretended to be offline Megatron wouldn't beat him any further this time.

"Get up, Starscream!" Well, so much for that.

Starscream gingerly lifted himself out of the broken monitor and lifted his arms up to his face plate defensively. He shook and waited for the next blow, which happened a few seconds later. Megatron kicked him in the chassis and forced him to his knees! He then grabbed the right wing, and slowly started to pull it apart. Starscream begged for him to stop, but that only made Megatron want to do it more.

A few minutes later, Starscream was a battered heap on the floor, and his precious wing was completely disconnected from his body. He whimpered and hoped that his master was finally finished humiliating him. Megatron looked over his handiwork with a scowl, and shook his head as if looking at a dimwitted student.

"You are dismissed, Starscream," Megatron rasped, "Get to the medbay before I drag you there, and pick that up! I don't need your scrap littering my control room!"

Starscream grabbed his dismembered wing and slowly picked himself up off the ground. Hook would probably scold him for getting himself in trouble again. That was usually the way. He knew if he behaved more like that sycophant Soundwave he would be safer, but he just couldn't do it. He hated Megatron. He had _always_ hated Megatron, and Starscream knew as he walked away that he was going to kill that mech one day.


	4. War-Make

_Author's Notes: This chapter is one I've had planned for a while now, and it still didn't turn out exactly how I thought it would. I still think it turned out pretty well though. I hope you guys are enjoying reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Please don't forget to leave a review :)_

* * *

Chapter 4

War-Make

 _9 million years ago._

Ariel couldn't get over her beautiful new son. He was perfect, and she knew that Orion would think so as well. He had been gone for an orn and a half on a business trip, so he wasn't around when the spark was coded into the protoform. She couldn't wait for him to see it! She had selected this frame type especially for Orion, and she knew he would be so proud of his new son!

There was a rapid knock on the door, and Ariel instantly recognized the knock as her father's. He was going to see the newspark for the first time, and Ariel was both excited and nervous about presenting her sparkling to his grandsire. He would also need to watch the sparkling while Ariel went to work, so she hoped her little darling wouldn't be too fussy.

Ariel opened the door and ushered her father inside. She had left her little sparkling on the couch in the back room in a sitting position. He was a little off-balance but so far hadn't had any accidents.

"Ariel, my daughter! So good to see you!" Her father, a gunmetal grey mine-cart former, greeted her warmly, "Ah, look at that face! That's the same glow your mother had when you were born, may her spark rest in peace. So, does motherhood agree with you so far?"

"Actually, yes," Ariel replied with a sincere smile, "The sparkling is three cycles old now, but I haven't programmed a name yet. Orion and I are going to do that together after we get off work tonight."

"I hope the newspark is better looking than Orion Pax," Ariel's father teased as he slowly made his way to a chair, "Well, what are you waiting for? Bring him out! I want to see my grand-mechling."

Ariel giggled at his impatience and went to the other room to get her little angel. Her father was going to be so surprised to see her son, but she feared he might not have as positive a reaction as she expected from Orion.

"By the way, Father," Ariel shouted into the other room, "He has your face plate, and Orion's color scheme everywhere else."

"Oh joy. Red, white and blue," her father sighed, "I'm sure that'll look swell covered in dirt when he grows up and joins the working world."

"I like the color," Ariel replied defensively; taking her time rejoining her father, "It's full of contrasts. The purity of white, the passion of red, and the calm serenity of blue. Besides, you can't honestly think your own grand-mechling is ugly, now can you?"

"I won't know until you let me see him! Get him out here, Ariel!" Her father shouted impatiently.

Ariel sighed and entered the room holding onto her little bundle of joy. Her father was a kind mech at spark, but he could be impossible to deal with sometimes. Always so demanding and impatient...

"Pick Axe, may I introduce you to your new grand-mechling!" Ariel said with pride as she set the sparkling down on the table for her father to examine.

The older mech's optics glanced at the sparkling up and down. Sure enough, he was red and white with blue appendages and a dark metal face. That wasn't the only thing Ariel's father noticed, however…

"What the pit is wrong with this kid?" Pick Axe asked insensitively.

"Father, _please_! He's old enough to understand what you're saying!" Ariel cautioned her father.

"Seriously, what happened?" Ariel's father asked again, "His back looks like it was pulled apart!"

"Those are _wings_ , father! He's a flier!" Ariel shouted; finally at her limit with his boorish questioning.

"A flier? You can't afford an upgrade that expensive," her father said suspiciously.

"I could afford this one, father," Ariel explained, "This is a new war-make model known as a _seeker_ frame type. It's very popular right now due to its low cost and added mobility. Isn't it wonderful, father? My son will be able to fly! This is something previous generations could only dream of!"

"Ariel…" Pick Axe's voice took on a grave tone, "...Ariel. What have you done? You have condemned this sparkling to death."

"Father, what are you talking about? He's fine," Ariel replied; her tone growing more nervous as she saw her father's demeanor shift from mildly argumentative to genuinely disturbed.

"Ariel, you know energon is becoming scarce," her father reminded her, "Our own rations have been cut back despite our work output being the same; sometimes more. Cybertron hasn't had a war in millions of years. A war-make's only job is to march around the city-state they live in and pretend they are making the world a safer place even though they don't have to. Their energon rations reflect this general uselessness. Your son will be forced into military service by the senate and starve when the fuel crisis reaches its crescendo. How could you do this to him?"

"No...You're wrong!" Ariel shouted fervently, "My son can do anything he sets his mind to! He can fly, and he will reach for the stars one day! I still remember that night when I told Orion we were having a sparkling. We stood under the twinkling stars and looked out at the golden spires of Iacon and the Crystal Gardens below us. We stood on that bridge, and Orion made a promise to me, that we would do whatever it took to give our new sparkling every advantage and that our child would reach for the stars and follow his dreams. The Functionalists are wrong. My sparkling is not a tool of war. He will fly up to the heavens one day and see all there is to see."

Her father harrumphed and turned away, and the sparkling followed his movements with his little yellow optics. Pick Axe looked down at his grand-mechling and couldn't help but smile a little despite how he felt about the gaudy winged frame Ariel had chosen.

"I have to go to work, father," Ariel announced as she headed for the door, "Watch out for my sparkling. Orion and I will be back tonight, and you're invited to the designation ceremony. Bye!"

When the door closed, Pick Axe turned back to his grand-mechling. He picked the sparkling up and set him down on his lap. The sparkling looked up at him with wide curious optics, and then put a little blue hand in his mouth.

"You know something?" Pick Axe said to the sparkling, "If you're anything like your father, then you will try to fly up to the stars. And you know what? Some senator's hand is going to be there to pull you right back down to Cybertron. Our family is of a low caste, and you have an expendable frame type. Times are gonna be hard for you, my little one. I promise you this though, I won't let you starve. I'd sooner give you the energon from my own fuel lines than let you starve. Dreams won't save you, little one. Someday your parents will understand."

The sparkling wasn't old enough to understand every concept, and didn't have the vocalizer control to respond, but he listened intently to every word pouring from the old grey mech's mouth. Pick Axe gingerly ran a finger over the newspark's right wing and smiled when the sparkling started giggling at being tickled by the touch. They had to change this sparkling's frame code before it was too late. He would pay for the procedure himself, but he had to talk to Ariel when she got home.

* * *

Later that day Pick Axe was rocking the newspark to sleep and watching his all-time favorite show on the broadcasts when it was interrupted by the news.

"Oh, _come on_! She was just about to tell him the rust was terminal!" Pick Axe hollered at the screen; waking the sparkling.

He stopped complaining however when he saw the Iacon Energon Depository on the screen. That was where Orion Pax and Ariel worked. Did something happen? He turned up the volume to hear what they were saying.

"I am here live at the scene of a brutal terrorist attack," the news anchor said in a clipped tone of voice, "The Energon Depository was blown up when the energon was ignited after a failed robbery attempt. The attack has been blamed on a small rebel faction known to citizens of Kaon as the Decepticons. They are a small group of lawbreakers led by a gladiator named Megatron. Seen here in this file footage ripping apart an opponent's chassis, Megatron is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. Hold on, I'm getting confirmation that there were three fatalities in the attack on the depository. The names of the victims are Dion...Orion Pax…"

 _Not the sparkling's father...No. Please don't say..._

"...And Ariel," the news anchor finished, and Pick Axe convulsed as he slumped back down in his chair, "Video footage shows the dock workers being shot down in cold blood by the murderous Megatron. Only Dion's body has been recovered. It is believed that there wasn't enough of the other two victims to salvage."

Pick Axe watched in horror as the footage of the attack played out. He saw that evil creature shoot Orion Pax in the shoulder. It wasn't enough to kill him, but then he saw Ariel, his only creation, actually run _toward_ that gun-toting psychopath to defend her boyfriend! Megatron shot her as if it were nothing to him, and then the footage showed Orion try to tackle Megatron to the ground before he too was shot in the spark chamber.

Pick Axe, without even thinking, grabbed the sparkling and transformed into his mine-cart form. He drove out into the city and toward the Energon Depository. He had to see for himself. This couldn't be real! His daughter wasn't dead...she _wasn't_ …

He replayed the last conversation he had with her before she left for work. Why did he argue with her? On one of the happiest days of her life, why did he argue with her? She was going to be bonded in an orn. She and Orion Pax were going to start a life together with their sparkling; the sparkling now huddled inside his open cart. He knew the sparkling could sense the danger. He wondered if the little thing understood that his parents were…?

Pick Axe made it there by dusk, and camera crews were swarming the place. He asked a few bystanders what happened, and he heard stories about guardian robots, Megatron fighting a new mech named Optimus, and about some strange robots carrying away the bodies of Orion Pax and Ariel.

He pushed past the crowd, but he didn't go inside the depository once he saw the sheer carnage of the scene. Parts from the victims were scattered on the ground, and the black marks spoke of places where spilled energon had been before the entire building exploded.

Everyone turned around sharply when they heard and felt a shattering explosion in the distance! They saw people running and screaming as they fled the city-state of Iacon! Pick Axe looked up, and saw the golden towers burning. They were actually _burning_! Lots of lookalike soldiers fled the city, and it was obvious what they had done. The Decepticons had set Iacon itself on fire!

The crowds began to transform to flee the chaos faster, and Pick Axe hugged his grand-mechling before also transforming and driving away with the crowd. He was not a very fast mech. His job only required the ability to carry heavy loads, but he drove with all his might to escape the razing of Iacon! His daughter was dead, her lover was dead, but Pick Axe still had something to live for...his grand-mechling. He would not allow the Decepticons to claim another life on his watch!

Along the road Pick Axe nearly ran over two other Cybertronians! A femme was crouched over the injured form of her bondmate, and Pick Axe begrudgingly allowed both of them to climb inside his alt mode. He had room, and they wouldn't slow him down.

Once they were on the outskirts of the city, ironically enough at the Crystal Gardens, Pick Axe let the grateful couple out of his alt mode and then transformed. He held his grand-mechling tight and silently started to cry. The drops of cleaning fluid dripped onto the sparkling's helm, and this did not escape the newspark's notice.

The sparkling looked up at his grandsire's tired face plate, and then looked out at the burning city, and started crying for all he was worth! It was the most deafening, audio sensor shattering scream Pick Axe had ever heard, and it broke his spark to know the first memory this precious sparkling would have was the burning of his city and the murder of his parents.

There was no beauty in the city anymore. Only ugliness. So Pick Axe looked up at the sky; the only spot of beauty left. There were many stars out in the sky that night. If Pick Axe only looked up then everything would look beautiful, but he couldn't ignore the horrible screeching cries coming from his last surviving family member.

"Little one, I think it's time I programmed your name," Pick Axe said as he rubbed the sparkling's tender wings to comfort him, "There is only one name that fits the night you have experienced, and the hopes your family had for you…"

* * *

"Starscream! Wake up!" Skywarp shouted at his trine commander, "Come on! If your late Megatron's gonna have both of our afts in a sling!"

Starscream rolled over on his recharge berth and grumbled unhappily. He hated it when Skywarp woke him up, and he hated it even more when Skywarp was doing so on Megatron's behalf.

"Get scrapped, you fragger…" Starscream muttered in his half-online state.

"Oh, come on! I think you're gonna like this mission…" Skywarp said in a sing-song voice.

"I don't care if it's an all-expenses paid trip to the universe's most luxurious pleasure palace, I'm not getting up!" Starscream yelled at his trine mate; who then started jumping up and down on his berth.

Starscream was jostled by the annoying jumping until he was thrown off the berth and fell on his face plate! He growled and slowly sat up; glaring daggers at Skywarp. Skywarp still had that stupid smile plastered on his face, and Starscream looked ready to rip out Skywarp's spark chamber and feed it to him.

"Trust me Screamer, you're gonna want to go on this mission," Skywarp insisted.

"Fine! What the frag is it?" Starscream finally relented, as if he ever had a choice.

"You are going to lead a mission to capture a group of Autobots on Cybertron," Skywarp said proudly.

" _So_? How is that different than what we do on earth?" Starscream asked crossly.

"Because these Autobots are all femmes!" Skywarp announced excitedly, "That's right Screamer! Real, live, actual femmes! Oh, I hope Megatron lets us keep a couple of them on the Nemesis! It's been so long since I…"

"You idiot, he probably wants me to kill them," Starscream replied dismissively, "They are Autobots, and Megatron wishes all Autobot femmes terminated so they can't create more Autobots. And of course he won't do it himself! Oh, _no_! He has to send _me_ down there like some sort of glorified exterminator! Why do I always get stuck doing his dirty work?"

"Dirty work? Screamer, you are going to be alone with hot Autobot prisoners!" Skywarp exclaimed enviously, "Not to mention be the one to execute the Prime."

"Wait, what was that?" Starscream asked; suddenly interested.

"Oh, yeah. That was the important part," Skywarp said absentmindedly, "Elita One is still alive. Megatron wants you to use her as bait to lure Optimus Prime into a trap."

"Hm...If I killed Optimus Prime, that would prove to the Decepticons what a capable warrior I am…" Starscream pondered the possibilities, and then finally said, "Fine. I'm in. So, do you know who I'm working with?"

"Yeah. Ramjet, Rumble, and Astrotrain," Skywarp recited.

"I finally get Astrotrain on my team and I don't even need him this time," Starscream lamented, "Seriously though, Astrotrain, Ramjet, and Rumble? How did Megatron think of this motley sort? What does he expect us to find exactly?"

Skywarp just shrugged and teleported out of the room. Starscream sighed and decided he might as well prepare to meet with His Royal Hindness. He would need to wash himself first, and then fuel up before the trip. Hopefully Megatron's long-winded speech wouldn't take too long before Starscream was allowed to leave on his mission to torment soft-sparked femmes. He seriously wondered why he kept taking jobs that were below him, but if it meant he could deny Megatron the chance to kill Optimus Prime then it would be worth it.


	5. Another Word For Treason

_Author's Notes: This is getting to be a common expression with my fanfics, but_ wow _this took way too long to update! Sorry about that, and to those of you that waited I thank you for your patience. Anyway, this chapter and the next one are a retelling of the episode "The Search For Alpha Trion" as told completely through Elita One's POV with some stuff added to get a fuller picture of what she's going through. I used this technique once before in my fic "The Savage Earth", only then I was working with Insecticons instead of Elita One. Anyway, enough rambling, enjoy the fic and please review :)_

* * *

Chapter 5

Another Word For Treason

Elita One's crew had returned from a disastrous mission. After all the deca-vorns they had spent hiding from Shockwave's forces and quietly sabotaging the Decepticons' plans in Iacon Chromia, Moonracer, and Firestar had been discovered by Shockwave during a routine energon raid. Now that overgrown popgun wouldn't stop until they were found and destroyed!

Elita One was at a loss. She shouldered a lot of responsibility among the Autobot ranks. They had no Prime, they had no freedom, and they had no peace. Elita One was as close to a true leader as they could find. The only one she felt she could trust with her innermost thoughts on such matters was the wise old Alpha Trion. He was the oldest living Autobot, and a secret helper to the femmes as well as Autobot forces all over Cybertron. He was like a father figure to Elita, and she needed to talk to him now.

Elita One went to a separate room from the rest of the base and used an old-fashioned holovid projector to contact her mentor. Alpha Trion's comm signal had been damaged several vorns ago, so she always had to talk to him this way.

"Come in Alpha Trion, this is Elita One," Elita announced herself since his holovid projector was so obsolete it couldn't list frequency numbers.

"Greetings, Elita One," Alpha Trion's warm voice echoed throughout the small room as their comm signal connected.

"Greetings Alpha Trion," Elita said hurriedly; too tense to sound friendly yet trying her hardest to not be rude, "I feel the Decepticons have discovered our secret base." She said without wasting a moment.

"Oh?" Alpha Trion asked, concerned, "Then you must relocate at once. Investigate the area alone. That way perhaps the Decepticons won't spot you, but be careful."

"I can take care of Decepticons," Elita said resolutely as she clutched her fist, "Elita One knows no fear."

"Elita…" Alpha Trion said hesitantly, "I must warn you again not to use your special power...under _any_ circumstances. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Alpha Trion. I understand," Elita One said respectfully as she bowed slightly and signed off.

Elita One left the room with a sense of purpose. Their situation was no less dire, but speaking to Alpha Trion always helped her to see things clearer. That being said, she wondered if he even remembered that he reminded her of not using her sigma ability nearly every time she called him. It was kind of unfair that she had one of the most powerful sigma abilities, and yet it was connected directly to her spark and could kill her. She bet Windcharger and Mirage didn't have to deal with this scrap when they were still alive.

The pink and white femme sighed when she thought about Optimus's old unit. So many Autobots had gone up in the Ark. So many Autobots who were lost to the stars. It was tragic, but those thoughts just bolstered her on. She felt how desperate the situation was and knew that her sisters-in-arms were depending on her so they could all survive another orn. She would not let them down.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't get the chance to search for a new location for them. As soon as her elevator took her to the surface, she saw that a group of four Decepticon soldiers were headed straight for the hideout! She ducked back behind the wall, ready to make a move as soon as she saw a weakness.

"Remember why we're here," the Decepticon group's leader told the others, "To capture Elita One at all costs. Now, where's the entrance?"

Elita One felt her spark hitch up into her vocalizer at those words! Not only were they aware that this was the location of the femmes' base, but they also knew she was the one in charge of the female Autobots! If they destroyed the base and killed her friends she would never forgive herself. If she were taken alive though, then who knew what Shockwave would do to her?

"Maybe Shockwave made a mistake in his calculations?" A white and grey seeker suggested.

 _Yes_! Elita One thought as if she could will them to believe it. _Shockwave made a mistake for all you know. Go back. Go back…_

"Negative," the lead seeker shot down that theory; much to Elita's chagrin, "The female Autobots are obviously quite clever, but they will not outsmart me. Rumble! Activate your pile driver arms and shake the hens out of their nest!"

"Megatron's orders were to find the female Autobots and capture Elita One, not to tear up the whole planet!" A small blue and purple Decepticon replied caustically.

 _Megatron_? Elita One couldn't believe what she was hearing! Megatron was _alive_? He had returned? Did this mean the Ark was destroyed once and for all? Had they finally lost for good?

"When Megatron is not here I am in charge!" The red and blue seeker shouted angrily, "And I order you to obey me!"

Without another word, the small Cassetticon began to shake the ground! Elita One would have never imagined such power in such a tiny mechanism. More importantly though, that seeker had said he was in charge so long as Megatron wasn't there. That could only mean he was Megatron's SIC, Starscream. Elita One had never fought Starscream before, but Chromia had. Chromia described the seeker as equal parts sadistic and cowardly; not a pleasant combination.

With the ground shaking and the other troops in mortal danger, Elita couldn't afford to wait anymore! She aimed for Starscream, but missed and hit the garbage can right in front of him. The Decepticons stopped when they saw her, and for a moment the horrible earthquake stopped.

"Keep at it, Rumble!" Starscream hollered at his subordinate, and Rumble resumed his smashing into the ground.

Realizing there was no reasoning with such mechs, Elita started firing at anyone she could. She wished Moonracer was up here with her. That femme was the best shot in their entire unit. Elita dodged every shot fired at her, and continued to shoot at the Decepticons. She landed on top of a building so she could see the action all around her.

When the white seeker launched a missile at her, she actually caught the missile in mid-air and threw it back at him! The seeker fell from the sky, and for a moment Elita felt like she stood a chance against them.

She didn't realize, however, that by standing on top of that building, she was giving Starscream a clear shot! He fired his null rays, and she was instantly paralyzed! The paralysis only lasted a few seconds, but when she tried to get back up she was seized by the two largest Decepticons in the group, including the jet she had previously knocked out of the sky.

"You may cease now, Rumble!" Starscream ordered with a victorious grin, "Take a good look at your headquarters Elita One…"

"Not that there's anythin' left to see," the small cassette-former added mockingly.

Elita One openly gaped when she saw that they had desecrated the place, and there was no way to get back in...or to get out. Any soldiers left alive would be trapped down there forever. She had failed to save her friends, and they were likely all dead. She hung her head as her captors led her away from the scene. She knew this was only the beginning. Megatron had returned, and this time they had no Prime to fight back with.

* * *

They had taken Elita One to Darkmount. It was her worst fear realized. Shockwave was probably going to experiment on her right after these psychopaths had their way with her. Elita hated it that her thoughts went in that direction. She was a political prisoner, but she also knew that by being a femme it added a whole new level of danger to her circumstances. There weren't that many Decepticon femmes left, and Autobot femmes were nearly extinct. Why wouldn't they take advantage of her?

"Alright Astrotrain and Ramjet, stand on either side of Elita One against that wall there," Starscream ordered, "That's where we have the best light."

"Light? Who cares about light?" Astrotrain asked; his voice echoing all over the room.

"It's a video, you dolt!" Starscream snapped, "After all, we want our star to look good for her adoring public, don't we?" He added in a sadistically mocking tone of voice.

Elita One didn't know what they were planning, but she knew panic was the enemy, so she forced herself to remain calm and neutral. She would just watch what they did to try to figure out how to get out of this mess. She thought of the ruined remains of her headquarters, and entertained thoughts of escaping, going back, and digging out any survivors of the wreckage.

As she observed the Decepticons one by one, she began to focus more of her attention on Starscream. There was something odd about him. He looked so familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen him before. On the one hand he looked so evil and cruel, and yet that young angelic face bespoke of someone kind. How could he look so innocent and yet so guilty?

"Hey, are we supposed to rough her up for the video feed?" Ramjet asked.

"You seriously need to ask?" Starscream asked condescendingly, "Although, Prime will be less inclined to show up alone if he feels we've already damaged his femme."

" _Prime_?" Elita asked incredulously, "Optimus is alive?"

"Not for long," Starscream shrugged indifferently.

Elita couldn't believe her audio receptors! Optimus was still alive! This should be one of the happiest days of her life, but it couldn't be, because now she realized she was being used as bait.

"When I get out of this, you will rue the day you ever onlined!" Elita One vowed as she glared at Starscream.

"Hey, what about us?" Rumble asked dejectedly, "We helped!"

Elita looked at Rumble curiously. How old was this guy if he was this upset about being excluded? Were the Decepticons using child soldiers? She wouldn't put it past them. No way would an Autobot family ever allow their sparkling to-

 _Sparkling_. That was it! That was why Elita One thought Starscream looked so familiar to her! He had the same color configuration as her sparkling! In fact, if she didn't factor in the adult frame and weapons, he looked a _lot_ like her sparkling. He had the same coloring as Orion Pax, and his gunmetal face plate reminded her a lot of her father.

She tried to drive those thoughts away. Her sparkling was dead. He had died along with her father the day Iacon was burned to the ground. There was no way… No! Her son was _not_ this monster! This was Megatron's personal enforcer. This mech was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of mechs and femmes across the galaxy! Starscream was so ruthless and so willing to stab Megatron in the back that his name was synonymous with treason.

"So, what do we do with the femme when this mission is over?" Astrotrain asked as he leered lustfully at Elita, "If you don't have any ideas, I can think of a few…"

"And this is why you will never be in charge," Starscream chided Astrotrain, "Don't you understand who this is? Elita One is no mere femme. If we allow her to survive she will plow through our forces like they were made of glass! When Optimus Prime dies, she dies."

"Starscream," Elita One found herself calling to him before she could even think about what she was doing, "How old are you?"

"What?" Starscream asked; confused, "What kind of a stupid questions is that?"

"I just want to know," Elita persisted, "When were you born?"

"During the vorn of Sentinel's third attempt to pass a law to obliterate planet Junk," Starscream replied, "I've been in stasis for a while, so I don't know how long it's been exactly."

Elita's face fell. She remembered that campaign. It was shortly before Sentinel Prime was assassinated by Megatron and his forces. It was when Ariel and Orion Pax died and Optimus and Elita One were born. It was the vorn Optimus became the new Prime. Most relevant though, it was the vorn when her son had been born and supposedly died.

"May I ask...who are your parents?" Elita One asked with trepidation.

"Why are you suddenly so interested in my personal life?" Starscream asked suspiciously.

"I have nothing to do but wait," Elita One replied evasively, "I just wanted to have an intelligent conversation for a few breems, and I thought you of all mechs could appreciate that."

She hoped playing to his ego would loosen his glossa and get him to tell her more. Maybe if he told her about his life it would dispel the thoughts whirring through her processor. Maybe if she just heard him talk about his life she would learn he wasn't her dead son and then she could move on.

The tactic worked, and Starscream ordered Elita to follow him to a table with two chairs in another room so that they could chat.

The other three 'Cons looked at each other after witnessing that exchange. They were, naturally, a little confused.

"Did Elita One just flirt with Starscream?" Rumble asked; misconstruing the situation.

"I think so," Astrotrain replied distractedly.

"I didn't realize Prime's mate was so loose," Ramjet commented, "You think she'll interface with him to try to save her own life?"

"It won't work," Rumble pointed out, "He'd just interface with her and kill her anyway."

* * *

In the other room, Starscream pulled Elita's chair out for her since she was shackled. She looked at him with distrust, but ultimately sat down anyway. She worked hard to level her intakes. She didn't want to look nervous in front of such a powerful enemy. She waited for him to start talking, but when he didn't she posed the inquiry again.

"So, can you tell me a little about your family, Commander?" Elita asked, trying to not shake in disgust at calling that mech _Commander_.

"I suppose," Starscream said haughtily as he reached for a cube of energon, "It won't make a difference when you're terminated anyway. I was raised in Vos, but I suppose that isn't a surprise. Most seekers lived in Vos because of its high skyline and access to other seekers. I was raised by my grandsire in a small ground level apartment. It was cheaper that way since most seekers don't want to live near the ground. This might surprise you given my regal bearing, but we were actually quite poor. Most believed my destiny was to be a patrol soldier like other seekers because of my frame type and humble means, but my grandsire was an ambitious mech, may his spark rest in peace, and he wanted more for me."

"Your grandsire is dead now?" Elita asked quickly.

"Yes," Starscream replied; annoyed at being interrupted, "That was a long time ago though. Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes. My grandsire and I both had jobs to pay for our rent and energon. I worked at a courier office, first as a janitor and then as a clerk arranging shipments to and from other worlds. What I didn't know was that my grandsire had been saving up credits for several vorns to bribe the dean of Iacon's Science Academy so that I could be enrolled as a student. Back then seekers weren't allowed to attend university due to their frame type, but credits usually overrule any sense of deportment when one makes a teacher's salary."

"I see," Elita One replied quietly, "So what happened to your parents?"

"It's not important," Starscream replied dismissively, "What matters is now, and now this conversation is over. I just got a comm from Soundwave on earth. Apparently your knight in shining armor has finally arrived!"

Elita saw the look of utter glee on Starscream's face plate and shuddered. She now knew the truth. This _was_ her son, and he was going to kill his own parents in the name of Megatron!


	6. Let Him Go

Chapter 6

Let Him Go

Elita was taken back to the main room to await Prime's arrival. She was already feeling low because her long lost beloved was about to walk into a trap because of her. Her mood was made worse, however, by the sight that greeted her when Starscream led her back to the control room.

Shockwave had arrived to meet the other Decepticons and see Elita One for himself. He almost didn't believe she could have survived for so long without anyone noticing, but when he saw her in person there was no mistaking the confidence in her gait or the fire in her optics. This was definitely the femme leader.

Elita hated Shockwave with every fiber of her being. He was no Megatron when it came to battle, but Shockwave was still a cruel and efficient dictator in Megatron's absence. For 4 million years Shockwave had been the face and the ruling force of the Decepticons, and he was responsible for the deaths of so many of her comrades. She only wished she could shoot him down in that very moment.

"Has the prisoner divulged any useful information, Commander Starscream?" Shockwave asked immediately.

"That is none of your concern," Starscream admonished the scientist, "This is _my_ operation, and I will thank you to keep your meddling in check."

"Megatron has ordered Optimus Prime destroyed. I don't see the harm in this being a team effort," Shockwave reasoned.

" _Enough_!" Starscream shouted, and Elita was taken aback by the forcefulness in his tone, "You couldn't even defeat a group of scattered femmes! You honestly believe you've earned the right to be involved in this mission? I will destroy the Prime and his mate, and everyone will see that _I_ am the most qualified to lead! Astrotrain, keep an optic on the prisoner."

With that Starscream roughly pushed Elita into Astrotrain's waiting arms. She growled and glared at Starscream, but after a moment she stopped; realizing her spark was no longer in it. How could she hate him after knowing who he used to be? Her son was corrupted by Megatron, and most would believe he was irredeemable. She was sure her real sparkling was in there somewhere, however. She just had to figure out how to appeal to his sense of decency.

One thing that left her confused about her feelings was Starscream's rant toward Shockwave. On the one hand she enjoyed seeing someone, anyone, lash out at Shockwave and get away with it. The problem was that this was _Starscream_ , and she knew from the stories that his motivation above all else was power. It still didn't seem right, that her son was the power-hungry psychopath from the horror stories told around strategy tables and scrap can fires.

A moment later the space bridge opened and deposited Optimus Prime, who was on guard to see if he could spot Elita One or her captors. The moment he stepped foot inside the building, however, he was immediately trapped in a force field cube! The first thing he saw once he realized what had happened was Astrotrain and Shockwave holding his precious mate; his Elita.

"Elita…" Optimus grunted as he struggled to get as close to her as the force field would allow.

"Optimus!" Elita shouted desperately.

There was no way she was going to allow these creeps to harm her bondmate, even if she didn't survive rescuing him. She elbowed Astrotrain to get him off of her, and then kicked him in the chassis for good measure! She raised her gun to break the force field holding Optimus, but a shot from Starscream's null ray sent her sprawling to the floor!

"This should finish you off!" Starscream yelled triumphantly as he stood over her and aimed his weapon, and Elita felt certain she would die by her own son's servo, but an unlikely mech saved her in that moment.

"Wait! I have a _better_ idea," Shockwave told Starscream; a sinister edge to the cyclop's voice.

Optimus wanted nothing more than to get those monsters away from his femme, but he was helpless; trapped behind a barrier. All he could do was watch in horror as Ramjet and Astrotrain took Elita One away. He didn't even have the willpower to fight back as he was released from the force field and led away by Starscream and Shockwave.

* * *

Elita One was led down several corridors by the Decepticons. Astrotrain and Ramjet stayed close to her every step of the way, and Rumble walked ahead of them holding a vibroblade. She heard Starscream's voice long before she saw where they were going. It seemed to be one of the lower levels, possibly a dungeon, and she could tell that she was being led to where Optimus was; possibly to watch him die.

"Enjoying the view, Prime?" Starscream taunted Optimus, and Elita could see that Optimus was hanging over a pit of boiling acid, "How fitting that the Decepticons have finally captured Optimus Prime under my leadership."

Starscream then turned around to see the Decepticons and Elita One standing there behind him. Rumble took his place next to the roll of chain holding Optimus, and Elita's optics went wide in terror when she realized what Starscream had in mind.

Once Starscream realized he had an audience, he decided to give them a little demonstration of what he had in store of the Decepticons' most hated enemy. He took a lead pipe from the ground and dipped it into the acid, and when it came back up it was red hot and mostly melted!

Elita couldn't allow Optimus to be melted down like a hunk of scrap, but now she faced an internal conflict, because she couldn't just attack Starscream. If she was only worried about the danger to herself she would've simply shot the SIC's helm off and let herself die at the servos of the other 'Cons, but it wasn't that simple anymore. Starscream was her son, her only creation, and she couldn't allow herself to hurt him. She could only do one thing now; try to reach his spark.

"Please, let him go," Elita begged as she struggled against the other 'Cons to try to get closer to Starscream.

Starscream smirked when he heard her say this, and said "Very well, my dear. Let him go...into the acid!"

Rumble heard the order and prepared his vibroblade to cut the chains holding Optimus in place, and Elita felt her chances slipping away. She had to say something to stop this; anything!

"No! Don't! Take me instead!" Elita cried out in wild desperation as she pulled against her captors.

Starscream casually walked up to Elita and held her chin in his hand. She looked in his optics, but couldn't see anything resembling light or feeling. All she saw was the egotistic overconfidence of a predator that had its prey at its mercy. She didn't know how her own son could've turned into such a sparkless evil being.

"Don't be so anxious, Elita One," Starscream purred as he smiled down at her, "You'll have your turn, right after Prime. _Now_ , Rumble!"

Rumble swung the blade, and the chains broke! Elita watched as Prime's body drew swiftly closer to the acid, and her horrified scream filled the room! She couldn't use force, she couldn't use reason, but she did have _one_ way left to save Optimus's life.

Everything around Elita One began to distort as she activated her special power, a sigma ability that caused her to move at hyper speed; causing everything around her to appear frozen in time. She could already feel her energy draining and her circuits overheat, but she only needed a moment and it would all be worth it.

She dragged Optimus Prime down from a mid-air fall and placed him gently next to the deadly pool. She placed some scrap metal in the acid to fool the Decepticons and make them believe Optimus was dead. She then touched Optimus's face plate so that she might share a little of her power with him...so that they might have a moment alone for her to say goodbye to him. She knew she most likely wasn't going to survive this.

"Wha- What happened?" Optimus asked in a daze, but before Elita could answer him she fell backward.

Optimus caught her, and it took all of her remaining strength to stay conscious.

"Elita…" Optimus's optics were filled with so much sorrow, yet Elita couldn't feel guilty about that, because she knew she saved him.

"My special power…" Elita croaked, trying with all her might to explain, "...A weapon of last resort. It drains all of my...life force."

"No," Optimus gasped as he held her closer to him.

Elita was sure she was done for, but she did think of one way to save herself. It was a long shot, but if anyone could get her there in time it was Optimus.

"Take me...to Alpha Trion," Elita rasped blearily; her consciousness fading, "He's the only one...who can save me."

"We shall find him," Optimus vowed as he scooped his beloved up in his arms.

He then ran for the exit with Elita held securely to his chassis. He knew Elita's power would wear off soon, so he had to hurry if they were to remain undetected by the Decepticons. The last thing Elita recalled before passing out completely was being lifted into Optimus's cargo hold by a claw. Her last thoughts before succumbing to oblivion was of how grateful she was that Optimus was alive...and how sorry she was that they never had the chance to raise their son to be a good mech.

* * *

Elita barely remembered fading in and out of consciousness in the back of Optimus's trailer. When she finally woke up she was in Alpha Trion's lab with Optimus and the old mech Alpha Trion himself standing over her. Optimus looked troubled, but she couldn't really blame him. After all, they had almost lost each other.

"Elita, how are you feeling?" Optimus asked with such tenderness in his voice that it made Elita smile despite everything they had been through.

"Better now," She replied honestly, "Optimus, I thought you were dead. I thought I would never see you again. Where have you been all this time?"

"I spent hundreds of thousands of vorns in stasis lock," Optimus explained, "On a planet called earth. I would have tried to contact you, but I was certain you had died during the attack on the Ark. You have no idea how relieved I am that you are here with me."

"I think I can imagine," Elita replied cheekily, but then turned serious as she said, "I suppose our reunion will have to wait though. The Decepticons are still attacking our forces, and we have to save them. I have to get back to my base and see if any of my friends survived the quake."

"You always did know how to keep our priorities straight," Optimus replied fondly as he held her hand in his.

Alpha Trion wished them well (after chiding Elita for using her special power), and the couple drove off into the night to fight the Decepticons. Elita knew they would win. She and Optimus were an unbeatable team. The 'Cons might have tried to use their bond as a weakness, but Elita knew deep down that their bond was their strength. That still left one vital problem though. She still didn't think she could fire her weapon on Starscream knowing what she knew. She also knew if Optimus knew who the Decepticon SIC was that it would impair his ability to fight him.

Elita made a decision in that moment on the road with her beloved. She would never tell Optimus that Starscream was his son. It was the only way to keep the Prime's spark from being broken.

* * *

 _Author's Notes: I know. Another time when I stick the Author's Notes on the bottom, but I have a good reason for it this time. Now that you have read this chapter I would like your opinion. Should I continue the "Search For Alpha Trion" storyline in the next chapter, or should I leave it here and move on to the rest of the fic? I don't know if this is a good ending or just a cliffhanger, so I'll let you guys decide. Whichever answer is the most popular determines how the next chapter plays out :)_


	7. From Nobody to Nightmare

_Author's Notes: I should have updated this fic long before now, but to make up for it here's a really long chapter! This chapter deals with Starscream's backstory mostly. Hopefully I can get back on track with this story, because when I started I intended for it to be big, and I still want that. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Please enjoy this latest chapter of Little Prince :)_

* * *

Chapter 7

From Nobody To Nightmare

Starscream returned from the mission on Cybertron in defeat, and now he sat in Hook's medbay impatiently awaiting treatment. Oh, the Autobots didn't hurt him too badly...but Megatron _did_. When Megatron heard Starscream lost to Optimus Prime and Elita One he flew off the handle and tried to turn Starscream into paste! Only a long range communication from Shockwave distracted Megatron long enough for Starscream to crawl away.

Starscream had nothing to do but listen to the sound of his own struggling intakes while waiting for Hook to finish patching up Ramjet and Astrotrain. Apparently Hook was under strict orders from Megatron to treat Starscream's injuries last because of his incompetence. Starscream snorted derisively when he thought about the pettiness of his so-called _master_.

Skywarp entered the medbay with an easy grin and took his place next to his trine brother's berth. Starscream wouldn't have minded a visit from Thundercracker, but he was in no mood to deal with Skywarp's childishness.

"Hey, Screamer," Skywarp greeted him cheerfully, "I heard you were back from the mission. How was it? Did you get any of the _spoils of war_ , so to speak?"

"I failed," Starscream spat bitterly.

"I know that. You always fail," Skywarp chuckled, "No, I meant did you get some _alone time_ with any of the prisoners? I heard some of those Autobot femmes are pretty fiery when cornered."

"I was not there to cavort!" Starscream snapped, but then winced when he moved in a wrong way and pulled a tight cable in his neck, "I was there to kill Prime, and I failed. I just want to go back to my room, but I can't leave until Hook fixes me."

"I can fix you, Screamer," Skywarp suggested.

"No, you can't," Starscream replied bluntly, "I could tend myself, but my room is three floors down and I can't make it there."

"Oh, but you forget!" Skywarp exclaimed with a mischievous grin, "That I can teleport you anywhere! Come on, let's go!"

"No, wait you idiot!" Starscream protested, but it was too late.

Skywarp grabbed Starscream and popped out of the room in a flash of purple light. He reappeared a second later in Starscream's private quarters. Most mechs got sick from the disorientation, but Starscream was used to the sensation after deca-vorns of living with his impish trine brother.

Starscream was plopped down on his berth with a hard thud, and he screamed in pain due to the indelicate landing. Skywarp simpered when Starscream glared viciously at him, and then teleported away to avoid consequences.

Starscream sighed in equal parts exasperation and relief. At least he would finally have a few moments to himself. He spent the first couple hours in his room slowly making repairs to his battered frame and reconnecting severed wires. His wings would have to be done in the medbay, but after a while the rest of him was looking almost as good as new.

He had a joor before he would have to report for duty again, but he didn't know what to do with the time. He didn't want to sleep, and he didn't want to work, so he just layed back on his berth and thought. He thought about that femme Elita One and her unpredictable nature. He fully expected her fierce fighting skills; that was no surprise. What he didn't expect were personal questions about his life, for her to turn into a weakling when confronted with Prime's demise, and for her to have a sigma ability that stops time! Seriously, how does one prepare for _that_?

His talk with her got him to think about a lot of things, but the most prominent thought was that he failed his grandsire. He had pushed thoughts of the old miner away a long time ago, but now they flooded him like the acid in Prime's would-be death pool.

Starscream got up and went to his personal computer. He normally used it for work and for storing blackmail material, but there was a small file in the annals of his archives that was reserved for his distant past. He opened the file, and clicked on the list of photos so he could look at them one by one.

The first photo was of his sire and carrier. It was one of several photos passed down to him from his grandsire. Apparently this one had been taken at the beach in Kalis, because Orion was splashing Ariel with oil from the ocean. She looked annoyed, but Orion was grinning wide. Starscream never personally met his creators, but he had heard many stories of their work ethic and integrity when he was a sparkling.

The next photo was more recent. It was of Skywarp, Thundercracker, and himself at the military academy throwing coal dust from buckets at a rival's barracks. That had been the second learning institution Starscream had enrolled in, but the military academy was very different from Iacon's Science Academy. By the time the seekers had gone to the military college, it had been taken over by Megatron's forces and was little more than a glorified boarding house for his troops.

He smiled at the memory. Skywarp had been the one to suggest the prank after that self-righteous mech Trial Run and his sidekick Squalor had written his trine's comm codes on the wall of the femme's wash racks. Those stuck-up slaggers scrubbed that building for an orn and a half trying to get all the black stains off. Starscream chuckled at that as he skimmed to the next picture.

The next photo was of Starscream shortly after his first upgrade, what humans would call a pre-teen. He was standing behind the desk of the courier's office with a big grin on his face plate. His grandsire had taken that photo to commemorate Starscream's first 'real job', as he called it. It was the first job he ever had that paid a living wage, though barely. Starscream scowled at how foolish he looked, but he still remembered how proud his grandsire had been.

The final picture was of his grandsire surrounded by get-well crystals in his berth room after an accident in Vos's upper district. His grandsire couldn't afford to go to a hospital, so he recovered at home with Starscream himself caring for the old mech. Starscream still believed that part of the city was bombed to get rid of the grounder immigrants that lived in Vos, but officially it had been attributed to a sinkhole. He would never believe it was a sinkhole.

Starscream couldn't look at the photos anymore. He turned off his computer and sighed heavily. Where had his life gone so wrong? When did he get so old? On the one servo he had accomplished much. He had gone from the son of dock workers and grandson of a miner to become second in command of the ruling faction of Cybertron. On the other servo, Megatron still lived, and so did Optimus Prime. Starscream had accomplished nothing!

He could still just barely remember a time when revenge and power didn't matter to him. He could still remember a time when he believed he could change the world with words instead of null rays…it seemed like so long ago…

* * *

 **Many Years Ago**

Starscream locked up the data pads and important notary seals in a drawer before he headed out the door; making sure to lock that as well. It had been a rather uneventful day at the courier office, but Starscream was still smiling. He had just got his wages for the deca-orn deposited into his account, and he couldn't wait to go home and give it to his grandsire.

He hoped there was enough in there to purchase some decent energon. The rations they got kept them alive, but the quality was so poor that the dregs got stuck in his vents and made flying difficult. He just wanted to drink mid-grade again. Maybe take his grandsire to Iacon to a grounder-friendly park. The ones in Vos were all floating parks high above ground and were difficult for the old retired miner to get to. It wasn't fair, but that was Vos.

Starscream walked into the apartment and was about to call out to his grandsire, but he heard the old mech muttering to himself in his berth room. Starscream tiptoed into the hallway and looked in on his grandsire to see the mech sitting on his berth holding a framed photo of Ariel and softly talking to it. Starscream ducked his helm and listened in; wanting to know if the old mech was distressed.

"I still can't believe the time has come so soon," Pick Axe whispered as he gazed at his late daughter's smiling photo, "I hope I am doing the right thing. I know you would think I am. You had so many dreams...I still think that that Orion boy was a fool, but one thing he did right was to help you learn how to dream. I'm sorry I wasn't supportive of your ambitions. I promise dear, I won't make the same mistake with Starscream. He works hard, and he is the most brilliant student at his primary school. You should see him! He goes to school in the mornings, he works in the afternoons, and he studies for more school at night! I doubt those spoiled tower brats could even begin to comprehend what real work is, but Starscream...He deserves this more than anyone I know, and I'm not just saying it because he's my grandmechling."

 _What the frag is he talking about_? Starscream thought to himself. _That's it! I can't stand it! I've got to know what's going on!_

Starscream snuck away from the door and went over to the entrance to their apartment. He then slammed the door loud enough for his grandsire to hear and shouted "Grandsire! I'm home from work! It was payday today!"

Pick Axe walked up to Starscream with open arms and gave his now nearly grown grandson a big hug. Pick Axe still tended to marvel at Starscream's latest frame. Starscream was easily twice as tall as his grandsire, and his colors of white, red, silver and blue were stunning. Of course the wings weren't a big deal in Vos, but back in Iacon they would be seen as...oh, right. Back in Iacon they would be seen as ugly and only suited for useless military drones. Pick Axe sighed when he thought about that, but he didn't let that stop him from what he did next.

"Starscream, we need to talk about something," Pick Axe said soberly, "Come sit with me at the table. I'll pour us some low grade."

"Aw, can't we go out for mid-grade?" Starscream whined.

"Not today, Starscream," Pick Axe replied firmly, "You'll know why if you sit down."

Starscream was disappointed, but he did as he was told. His grandsire shambled as he busied around their refueling room. The old mech was barely able to pick up his own pedes anymore, and transformation was becoming more difficult. He needed better energon, and he needed to see a medic, but they couldn't afford that. Not on the wages of a courier dispatcher and the stipend of a retired miner.

"So, what is this about, grandsire?" Starscream asked as he took a cube of dim looking energon from his grandsire's servo, "Are the debt collectors trying to pin debt on us we don't owe again?"

"No mechling, this is actually something good," His grandsire replied with a smile, "As I recall, you have often expressed an interest in the sciences, more specifically the fields of xenobiology and mechanical engineering."

Starscream nodded.

"Well Starscream," Pick Axe continued, "When you were young I remember taking you to the grave site of your creators in Iacon, and while we were there we took in some of the sights. You marveled at the Iacon Science Academy, and the idea of so much knowledge being contained in one place."

"I remember," Starscream replied with a wry smile, "You said to get away from there and that it was for spoiled rich mechs."

Pick Axe chuckled, though it was more from wistful regret than actual mirth.

"Yes Starscream, I said that. I thought science was too complicated for a low caste spark like yourself," Pick Axe admitted ruefully, "No one in our family has ever amounted to anything beyond menial labor. I was afraid to get your hopes up. Then you grew up, and I have seen how determined you are to learn despite the challenges you face. You work hard, you study diligently, and you don't give up. You already know more about complex machinery and microbes than anyone else I know."

"Yeah, for all the good it does," Starscream harrumphed, "We both know if I'm not contracted to work at the courier's office when I get my final upgrade that I'm going to be drafted or something. I just study because I want to learn. I know I can't make it a career, but I still want to learn."

"You _can_ make it a career, Starscream," Pick Axe said with certainty, "All you need is determination, hard work, and _this_ …"

Pick Axe then handed Starscream a data pad. Starscream was confused, and when he looked down at the pad it didn't lessen his confusion. It was their bank statement, and Starscream was sure the bank had made a mistake when he saw that they had over 3,000 credits in their account!

"What is this?" Starscream asked as he quirked an optic ridge.

"Your future," Pick Axe replied, and then his grin grew wider as he explained, "I have been saving part of your wages for 15 vorns now. I called the Iacon Science Academy and spoke with Dean Quartz about enrolling you. At first he didn't want to allow a seeker to join their prestigious center of learning, but when I mentioned a bribe of 3,000 credits in combination with your outstanding test scores, well...let's just say Dean Quartz' salary isn't as impressive as they would want you to believe, and that amount of money was more than enough to unlock the door, as it were."

"You can't be serious..." Starscream's optics were wide with shock as he stared back at his grandsire, "...You would give up this much money? Just so I can go to the Academy? You really think I can do it?"

"I think you're too stubborn to fail," Pick Axe replied with a smirk, "I know this is a hard road I'm sending you down, and your wings won't make it any easier, but I also know you are a brilliant and determined young mech. They won't want to accept you, and they won't like you, but they are going to have to put up with you. Someday, you'll run that place."

"Grandsire, I...I will never be able to repay you for this," Starscream said in awe as he stared at the bank statement, "Thank you so much!"

"You wanna pay me back?" Pick Axe asked enthusiastically, "Then you make something of yourself. Someday I wanna be able to brag to my neighbors that my grandson is a world famous scientist!"

"You got it, grandsire!" Starscream laughed jubilantly, "This time 10 vorns from now I'll have changed Cybertron forever!"

* * *

10 vorns from that moment Starscream didn't exactly change Cybertron, but his life had certainly changed. Just as predicted, most of the students and staff hated Starscream because he was a seeker. He was ignored at best and bullied at worst. It was hard for him to focus on his studies with so much social torment in his life, but he buckled down and refused to give his naysayers the satisfaction of driving him away. He would graduate if it killed him.

Starscream thought his wings were the problem, but then he realized many students were also fliers. They just weren't _seekers_. His build was for a lowly military assignment, and everyone Starscream met was appalled that he was practically spitting in the face plate of the caste system by not lying down and starving like his brethren. They just didn't want to admit that a low caste mech could be intelligent and dignified.

One interesting thing that happened, however, was half a vorn after Starscream first enrolled a flier named Skyfire was admitted to the Academy. Skyfire was the son of a high caste mech that owned a successful shipping conglomerate, and his parents had been among the first tower dwellers to catch on to the flying trend and build their son with wings. Of course their son was significantly larger than a seeker and built with better materials, so he didn't receive the same cruel treatment as Starscream.

Starscream wasn't going to try to make friends with Skyfire. He figured that it didn't matter if they could both fly. Many high caste mechs could fly. He was sure Skyfire would be a spoiled brat that only thought of himself and saw Starscream as social poison because of his military build.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

* * *

It all started when the xenobiology class was scheduled to go on a field trip to see the frozen tundra of a planet called Typhron. Once they got there the professor insisted that everyone have a partner to explore the region with so no one would get hurt in the hostile environment. Starscream wanted to go alone since nobody liked him and therefore likely wouldn't look out for him. When the other students had selected their partners Starscream was left with the only other student available; Skyfire.

Starscream tried to walk away to explore on his own, but Skyfire silently followed him everywhere he went. Every now and then Starscream would look back at Skyfire and note that the other flier was staring at him and walking very close to him, but the only sound between them was the footprints they were making in the snow.

"Don't you have anything better to do than creep around like that?" Starscream finally snapped at Skyfire after a few breems of silence between them, "Quit following me!"

"But I have to follow you. What if you fell in the ice or the wind carried you off or something?" Skyfire asked worriedly, "You're my responsibility."

"Are you serious?" Starscream asked sardonically, "Skyfire, you're _huge_! I'm surprised you can even fly at all! If anyone is going to fall in the ice like a dead weight it's you. And don't expect me to come looking for you when you fall flat on your face plate and the snow covers you up, because I know you wouldn't look for me!"

"That's a lot of hostility to have for someone you've never met," Skyfire pointed out stoically in an effort to not get upset, "Besides, I won't have to look for you, because I'm not letting you out of my sight. Now, what can we catalogue?"

Starscream fumed and crossed his arms over his cockpit. There was no getting rid of this guy! He was like a big white shadow! Oh well, might as well make Skyfire squirm if he was just going to stand over him anyway.

"I was going to analyze the stool samples buried beneath the snow to determine what types of animals inhabit this planet," Starscream replied challengingly, "Of course, I'm sure you don't want to get your fancy white servos dirty. You can just work over there somewhere while I tend to my own research."

"I don't mind collecting samples with you," Skyfire said with a small unassuming smile as he began to dig, "Your idea sounds fascinating. Honestly, I'm surprised we haven't spoken before now. You always rile up the instructors when you ask a controversial question or refute a statement everyone assumed was factual. Maybe after you graduate you should become a professor. I think future students could learn from you. We need more mechs with critical optics in our educational system."

Starscream was stunned. Skyfire just continued to talk while he dug around in the soil searching for animal dung per Starscream's instructions. This mech didn't seem stuck-up at all. In fact, he seemed genuinely nice. So few people were ever kind to Starscream without expecting something in return, and the seeker didn't know quite how to take it at first.

Finally, he decided to let go of his resentment and use the scanner on the samples Skyfire collected. Soon Starscream was talking as well, and by the end of the trip they were laughing and carrying on as if they had known each other their whole lives. They got a decent but not stellar grade on their stool sample project.

* * *

10 vorns after Starscream enrolled at the Academy, he graduated along with Skyfire. Their performance was nearly equal, and both were considered for the position of top in their class. Ultimately it went to Skyfire, but both agreed it was probably because of who his parents were rather than intellectual superiority. Starscream hated it that the world still looked at him as trash because of his frame type, but at least his best friend Skyfire and his grandsire didn't see him that way. That was something.

The only job Starscream was offered that could be considered even remotely scientific was a position with a company that sought uninhabited planets for energon collection. The crisis was getting bad on Cybertron, and they needed qualified field scientists to scout for new resources. Starscream had wanted a career that gave him the opportunity to build things or possibly research new life forms. He wouldn't turn a paying job down though, so he became an energon seeker.

Skyfire had the opportunity to work at a number of labs. The most promising was a company that specialized in cyberforming technology that allowed for colonization on other worlds. Skyfire could be in charge of his own lab, have a generous grant to develop new methods of cyberforming, and even have his own assistant. He turned the job down, however. He wanted to work with Starscream as an energon scout. He not only wanted to work with his best friend, but he was also deeply concerned about the energon crisis; especially after the horror stories Starscream told him about the slums of Vos.

The duo also thought leaving the planet was a good idea for political reasons. The faction known as the Decepticons was becoming more violent, and there was yet another countermovement called the Autobots that was fighting the Decepticons. It was starting to turn into a turf war, and neither wanted to be caught in the crossfire. Skyfire was a pacifist, after all. If Iacon was attacked Skyfire would sooner die than harm his assailants.

One orn while they were flying out in space on their second energon scouting mission Starscream finally told Skyfire something that had been on his processor for a long time.

"I've been listening to the reports on the Decepticons," Starscream said in a lower tone of voice than he normally used as they flew through space, "I've always hated Megatron, and that will never change, but...I think I agree with the Decepticon ideology on some level. Why should strong capable mechs starve just because they were born to the wrong family? Why can't we choose our own destiny? Why not allow all Cybertronians the chance to prove their worth?"

"I...I suppose that makes sense," Skyfire reluctantly replied, "I agree that the treatment of the working class has been unfair to the point of being disgusting. I still worry though. Megatron is calling for the extermination of my caste. I've never done anything to this mech. I don't even know him! How can one mech be filled with so much hate for an entire caste?"

"I used to have similar thoughts about your kind," Starscream admitted without remorse, "Not that you should all die. Well, maybe, but not that you should all be slaughtered. What I mean is that I never knew there were innocents among the elite. I can't look at the issue the same way after meeting you, but I still feel that Cybertron is due for a change. Don't worry though, I'm not going to suddenly join Megatron like all those other sheepicrons. Skyfire, I don't know if I ever told you this or not, but Megatron killed my creators when I was a newspark."

"What? That's horrible!" Skyfire gasped in shock, "Megatron has been terrorizing our world for _that_ long?"

"Yes, and I will never forgive him for that," Starscream replied bitterly, "However, I cannot allow that to distract me. My grandsire believes in me. He wants me to be somebody. I'm an energon seeker today, but soon I will make discoveries and build new tools that change how we live. This is what I've wanted all my life, and nothing will stop me."

Starscream meant what he said that day, but little did he know that events in his life would force him to leave his scientific career by the wayside and focus on an entirely new endeavor.

* * *

Starscream had never blown his money on high grade before. It seemed incredibly wasteful when there was an energon crisis, but tonight he felt he had to. He needed to numb the pain. He needed to feel nothing. In fact, if this stuff killed him that would be just dandy.

It was the first bit of freedom he'd had in over 100 vorns. It had all started on the worst orn of his life. The orn Skyfire had crashed on that blizzard-ridden snow covered planet. Starscream searched for his spark signature for three orns. He scoured the entire planet by himself, but he found nothing. It was the worst nightmare Starscream could imagine, but his nightmare was only beginning.

The Iaconian courts tried to frame Starscream for Skyfire's murder. Starscream insisted that there was no murder, that it had been an accident. He used what little money he had to hire a defense attorney, and his grandsire even chipped in what he could afford for Starscream's defense. The courts refused to give Starscream a fair trial, which was obvious when Starscream's black box was inadmissible in court and the prosecution gave no evidence other than Starscream coming back without Skyfire. In short, Starscream never had a chance.

Finally, to keep from being executed Starscream agreed to a plea deal where he would only serve 100 vorns for the murder of Skyfire if he admitted he did it. Starscream didn't want to tell such an ugly lie, but in the end his self-preservation won out over his pride. He was facing the death penalty and couldn't afford to go to trial against a council that actively wanted him dead. So in the end, he pled guilty.

He had served those 100 vorns, and on his first night of freedom he took what few credits he had left and spent it all on high grade. He needed to wash it all away; Skyfire, prison, Iacon, just...everything.

Starscream had no place to live and no money. He would have to move back in with his grandsire. It was a blow to his already fragile pride, but if that was what it took to stay off the streets then he would do it. He just hoped he wouldn't be a burden to the old mech while he searched for a job.

When he finally staggered home he was overcharged off his aft. He didn't even remember passing out. When he awoke he was in his old room, and it had been kept exactly as he left it. He saw his old tattered posters on the wall depicting movie heroes and great scientists. He saw his shelves full of data pads, and he saw the numerous rust spots on the ceiling, which were even bigger than before. He could almost see his upstairs neighbor's refueling room.

"Starscream, are you up yet?" Pick Axe asked in a haggard tone of voice, "Get up! I have the employment reports."

Starscream groaned as he sat up. His headache was excruciating, and he was seeing strange colors swirling around him. This was one _bad_ hangover.

He staggered to the refueling room to read the employment reports. His grandsire was pouring some low grade for both of them. Starscream looked at his grandsire, who he had not really seen since before prison, and was astonished at just how much older he looked. Pick Axe was barely able to move, and when he did move his joints made an awful creaking sound. His optics looked so dim it was hard to tell they were even online!

Starscream hated seeing his grandsire like this. He promised himself that he would start saving back any money he earned so his father could go to a medic for repairs. Hopefully there was a medic in Vos that would treat a grounder.

* * *

After several rejections over the course of the deca-orn Starcream finally found a job as a flight instructor for young seekers. Every other job had refused to hire him because of his murder conviction, so for this job he simply didn't tell them. Doctoring records wasn't as hard as the broadcasts tried to make it look.

Over the course of 30 cycles Starscream excelled at his job and even started buying better energon for himself and his grandsire. Pick Axe thought Starscream was being too free with his credits, but Starscream wanted his grandsire to have a better quality of life. He was even saving up to afford a medic. After that last incident with the 'sinkhole' Starscream knew he needed a medical fund for his grandsire.

Soon though, life would once again force Starscream to face cruel reality.

It all started one day when Starscream was at work. He was teaching the little seekers how to control the level of fuel that went to their thrusters during flight and landing. The little ones almost always seemed to hate learning how to land, so Starscream would teach them that first to get the hardest part of their lessons out of the way. He was about to demonstrate a perfect dive landing when his comm buzzed.

"This better be important, Grandsire," Starscream barked; knowing no one else but his grandsire ever comm'ed him.

There was nothing but static on the other end at first but then Starscream heard a faint "...Grn...mechng...m...tron...hurr…"

The comm line was cut short, and Starscream felt his spark sink down to his tanks. He didn't know what happened exactly, but it was clear his grandsire was in trouble and he had to get home _now_!

Starscream flew at a feverish pace and was home within a breem. His worst fears were confirmed when he saw that an entire chunk of his apartment complex had been blasted to cinders and scrap. Starscream screamed in panic, and then started digging with his bare hands in the rubble searching for his grandsire!

After nearly a joor he saw someone move. The servo was green and white beneath the dirt, so he knew it wasn't his grandsire. He dug them out anyway though since he could use an extra pair of servos to help him search for his grandsire. He dug out a seeker, their upstairs neighbor Streamline if Starscream remembered correctly.

"Where's my grandsire?" Starscream demanded once the dazed mech was out of the wreckage.

"Huh? You mean the grounder?" Streamline asked; his helm still fuzzy, "He was on the bottom floor. He's probably already dead."

"Don't you _dare_ tell me that, you fragger!" Starscream hollered indignantly, " _Who did this_!?"

"The Decepticons demonstrated here and our governor tried to force them to leave," Streamline explained, "Megatron got angry and fired his fusion cannon at the building several times. I don't know if anyone else is alive in there. He killed hundreds of mechs and femmes. He just...killed them...for no reason."

"Get out of my way!" Starscream screeched as he pushed the sobbing traumatized victim aside.

Starscream dug in the rubble for joors. He found 7 more survivors and dozens of dead bodies before he finally found his grandsire's remains. The old mech had been completely crushed, almost flattened, by the collapsed building. Starscream growled and clenched his fist. He couldn't be sad anymore. Sad solved nothing. His panic was replaced by anger and burning hatred. He had always hated Megatron but this act against his helpless grandsire made Starscream know one thing for sure. He would personally kill Megatron one day.

* * *

 **Present Day**

As Starscream lay awake on his berth thinking of his past failures he wondered when his purpose had become so fragmented. He had joined the Decepticons for the sole purpose of killing Megatron, but once he achieved rank and status he put those plans on hold. He resumed them in earnest once he became second in command, but for some reason he always failed.

No matter how many times he failed though he would persevere. No matter how many beatings, how many times he suffered, and how many repairs he needed he would not give up. He would have Megatron's helm, and he would have the Decepticons and Cybertron as his own. He would become the most powerful mech in the universe, and somehow that seemed like far better revenge than merely killing his most hated enemy.


	8. Reach For The Sky

_Author's Notes: I've had this chapter in my head for months. I knew I wanted these scenes in the story from the beginning, and now that I've written them...I realized that it was shorter than I imagined. Oh, well! It didn't need to be longer than this, and I'm still happy with how this came out. Now new players are introduced to the game! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review, favorite, and follow to see more Little Prince :)_

* * *

Chapter 8

Reach For The Sky

Elita One and the other fembots were getting worried. Alpha Trion always called Elita to exchange updates on their mutual progress or just catch up on the events of the orn. He hadn't called for two deca-orns, and Elita knew he wouldn't keep them waiting for so long unless something bad had happened.

She and Chromia drove out to where Alpha Trion's workshop was to see if they could find him. When they went inside they could see that Alpha Trion wasn't there, and also that everything had been ransacked. There was only one explanation for this level of wanton disregard: The Decepticons.

"Wow, I know Alpha Trion's a bit of a pack rat, but this is ridiculous," Chromia commented as the two femmes walked among the wreckage, "I can't believe Shockwave finally found him."

Elita saw an object on the floor with a mold that was meant for something small with lots of bumps and grooves, and she grimly said "I don't think this was the work of Shockwave."

"What do you mean?" Chromia asked.

"Look," Elita held up the mold, "This contained the key to Vector Sigma. It is something Megatron has wanted for a long time, and it looks as if he has finally gotten his wish. He is probably building an army through Vector Sigma as we speak."

"Do you think he killed Alpha Trion once he got the key?" Chromia asked worriedly.

"Probably," Elita replied in a hollow tone of voice, "Alpha Trion might not be as powerful as he once was, but he has been an enemy to the Decepticons for as long as the war has been going on. Megatron has no reason to spare him, and every reason to kill him. We must contact Optimus and the others on earth."

"Sounds risky," Chromia remarked, "Then again, we have to warn them about the army Megatron is doubtlessly building. You think any of this junk Alpha Trion has lying around can send a message to earth?"

"We'll search until we find something," Elita replied solemnly, "I only hope it is not too late for them...or for us."

* * *

Back at the Ark, things were relatively quiet for a change. The Decepticons had been active quite a bit lately, but the Autobots had held them back every time. Their mutual arms race had once again come to a stalemate, but everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Megatron revealed yet another vicious trick.

Optimus Prime sat at the console for Teletran 1 and filled out some paperwork. This was normally Prowl's job, but Optimus wanted to give his SIC a break for once. He also didn't feel like being crammed in his office all day, and so many Autobots came through the control room. It was a nice place to socialize as well as get some work done; the best of both worlds.

His typing was interrupted when a red light started flashing across the screen, and Optimus silently hoped Teletran would save his work instead of dumping it in the trash bin like last time.

"Alert, alert!" Teletran's mechanical voice intoned, "Call for Optimus Prime from Cybertron. Call from Alpha Trion."

"Impossible," Optimus said under his vocalizer, "No matter. Patch it through, Teletran."

The screen took a moment to clear due to the subspace interference, but when the picture finally solidified he saw the beautiful face of his beloved Elita One.

"Elita, are you alright? Is your unit under attack?" Optimus asked worriedly; knowing she wouldn't risk compromising the communications blackout unless it was for something important.

"No, Optimus, but I fear we are all in danger," Elita replied pensively, "Chromia and I have investigated Alpha Trion's home, and he is nowhere to be found."

"I know," Optimus told her, "He has merged with Vector Sigma. His body is no more, but his spark lives on."

"Merged with Vector Sigma? Why on Cybertron would he do that?" Elita asked; shocked that such a feat was even possible.

"Because Megatron stole the key to Vector Sigma," Optimus explained, "He used Vector Sigma to create a new combiner unit, an unstable gestalt made from earth vehicles that call themselves the Stunticons."

"A new combiner?" Elita gasped in horror, "They already have Devastator. Another gestalt could obliterate us!"

"I know, and Alpha Trion knew this as well," Optimus said solemnly, "That is why he sacrificed himself to give us a fighting chance, with a combiner unit of our own. I have built five new Autobots to aid us in our fight against Megatron, and while they are yet inexperienced I can see noble qualities in each of them already."

"You created new life? We're parents?" Elita asked in disbelief, "I never imagined that the next time we had sparklings I wouldn't even be there, or that they would be forced into adult bodies so young. Tell me Optimus, what are their names?"

"Our sons are named Silverbolt, Slingshot, Air Raid, Fireflight, and Skydive," Optimus announced proudly, "Their team name is the Aerialbots, and they combine to form Superion."

" _Superion_ ," Elita repeated the name lovingly, "A perfect name for- Wait, did you say _the Aerialbots_?" Then Elita started laughing at Optimus's sheepish expression, "After all these vorns you still wanted flying younglings! Oh, it is so nice to know that whether you are Orion or Optimus, you are still the same mech I bonded with all those vorns ago."

"I, um, don't know whether that is a compliment or not," Optimus stammered as he rubbed the back of his helm to stave off embarrassment.

"Tell me more about our sparklings, Optimus," Elita requested with a warm smile.

"Well, things were not easy for them at first," Optimus admitted, "I believe being 5 of only 8 flying Autobots in this ship gave Slingshot a bit of a superiority complex, and he attempted to convince the others that they did not need to listen to us. Silverbolt, while timid, is the most mature of the group. I put him in charge of their combiner unit. So far he has done well in aiding his brothers, and this helps him to keep his processor off his own insecurities."

"Is Slingshot going to be a problem?" Elita asked; concerned.

"I don't believe so," Optimus replied, "Most younglings have issues with authority at that age. You should have seen Wheeljack's sparklings when they were new."

"Wheeljack has sparklings?" Elita asked, "When did this happen?"

"Two stellar cycles ago," Optimus informed her, "They are not typical younglings, however. They were the result of an experiment Wheeljack performed involving organic spark cloning. Ratchet helped him build the bodies, and honestly Elita, you would have to see these mechs to believe they actually exist. Their team is called the Dinobots, and they have to be some of the most powerful mechs I've seen besides Omega Supreme. To be perfectly honest, they can be rather, um...well...How do I put this?"

"Brats?" Elita supplemented.

"More or less," Optimus admitted, "My point is most younglings have growing pains. I am certain the Aerialbots will become fine Autobots in due time."

"I would love to meet them someday, Optimus," Elita replied wistfully, "Just promise me one thing. Don't let Megatron take them away. Keep them safe."

"I will Elita," Optimus vowed, "I will protect them just as they are protecting us."

There was static on Elita's end of the comm, and she was quickly forced to say goodbye before the call cut off completely. Even after she hung up with him Optimus just sat there for a moment looking at the screen. He missed her so much, and he knew he would hold this conversation in his spark for a long time.

Elita, meanwhile, sighed once the comm was cut. Chromia had gone off to investigate the rest of the dilapidated mess that had once been Alpha Trion's home, so Elita had a moment alone with her thoughts. Elita had a lot of mixed emotions running through her processor. She was elated because she had new sparklings on earth, but sad because she couldn't be with them during their formative vorns. She was upset that she would likely never speak to Alpha Trion again, but also relieved that he wasn't dead. She wanted to celebrate her new combiner sparklings, but part of her still mourned for what was lost in Starscream.

That brought up another concern for her. Megatron killing her new sparklings would be a near unbearable tragedy for her, but if he managed to convert them to Decepticons when they were still young it might destroy her even faster. After seeing what Starscream became under Megatron's influence, she didn't think she would survive such a thing happening to her new sparklings.

Elita One took in a shaky intake of air, let it out, and steeled herself. There was still a war going on. Shockwave was still out there looking for them, and she still had a job to do. Worry and celebration could wait.

* * *

The Stunticons found themselves in Hook's medbay after Wildrider fragged off Thundercracker and got his aft handed to him by the blue seeker. Raiding power plants and fighting Autobots didn't seem too dangerous to the new gestalt, but dealing with their own teammates was another matter altogether.

"I can't believe Thundercracker ripped off your leg," Breakdown said softly as he examined Wildrider's injury, "All this because you told him you thought he looked like a butterfly?"

"Hey, how was I supposed to know that was a bad thing?" Wildrider snapped, "They didn't exactly tell us about the Insecticons!"

"Or about how girly butterflies look," Drag Strip added, "Seriously, why would you think that was a good idea?"

As they were talking Motormaster returned after unsuccessfully trying to locate Hook. The leader of the Stunticons was fragged off that none of the Constructicons were coming to help Wildrider. Without a leg they couldn't exactly transform into Menasor and kill the Autobots, now could they?

Motormaster hated the other Decepticons. He only stayed because of Megatron. He'd never admit it to anyone, but Motormaster wanted to be just like Megatron someday. Megatron was their leader and had built them to be powerful and hungry for conquest just like him. That if nothing else proved to Motormaster just how capable their leader truly was.

He saw that Breakdown and Drag Strip were trying to cheer Wildrider up, but then he noticed that Dead End was just sitting in a corner reading a data pad. Such disregard for their own team was unacceptable.

"Hey slag heap!" Motormaster shouted at Dead End, "You're supposed to help me look for a Constructicon to fix Wildrider, and you're just sitting there reading a data pad like some kind of oversized nerd! Gimme that!"

Motormaster then swiped the data pad right out of Dead End's servos. Dead End was too lazy to try to get it back, but that didn't stop him from giving Motormaster an angry glare through his purple visor. Motormaster looked down at the data pad, and saw that it was a stupid human book!

"Seriously, Dead End?" Motormaster growled at Dead End, "What is so fascinating about this piece of slag that you'd rather look at it than help me help Wildrider?"

"It's a book on English royal lineage," Dead End explained despite knowing Motormaster didn't really want to know, "I was just reading about King Edward II, who became king after the deaths of first his older brother Alphonso and then his father Edward I. I'm at the part where he travelled on campaigns with his father-"

"Hey, back up!" Motormaster interrupted him, "He killed his own family members to become the new leader of the English?"

"No," Dead End sighed longsufferingly, "In England as well as several locations on earth they govern by a system known as a monarchy. It basically means that when a king dies his oldest son or oldest surviving relative becomes the new king. Femmes have taken this title as well, but on earth they generally prefer mechs."

"But what if the king's son is weak?" Motormaster asked challengingly.

"It doesn't matter," Dead End replied, "Charles I was considered a physically weak and effeminate king during his reign, yet he was their commander during three wars that were combined to form the English Civil War."

"So what you're saying is, if Decepticons had a monarchy, then when Megatron dies I would be the new leader of the Decepticons?" Motormaster asked intently.

"If we lived under a monarchy, but we don't," Dead End pointed out as if it should be obvious, "I also highly doubt Megatron would instate such an institution for fear you would attempt to kill him for his power."

"But Starscream tries to kill him all the time!" Breakdown pointed out, "Megatron isn't afraid of that, or else he would have killed and replaced Starscream."

"I'm gonna talk to him about it," Motormaster declared, "After all, I'm loyal, I'm powerful, and I'm a great leader! I mean, he'll probably never die, but if he does then the best choice for leader is obviously me, his oldest creation and rightful heir."

"He's going to die," Dead End replied dryly, "Everyone dies at some point."

"Not Megatron!" Motormaster shouted as he shook his fist in Dead End's face for emphasis.

Dead End just sighed and said "Fine. Whatever. Not Megatron." just to humor his older brother.

Hook finally showed up to repair Wildrider a few minutes later, and Motormaster smiled evilly as he thought about what he would do to Thundercracker for damaging his brother. He then thought about other beautiful fantasies, such as ripping apart that smug Superion, hearing Megatron name him his royal heir just like an English monarch, and killing Optimus Prime and presenting the Prime's favorite rifle to Megatron for his trophy case. Motormaster softly chuckled as he imagined these things, and his gestalt could feel his sick joy over the bond. They just looked at each other uncomfortably as Motormaster continued to daydream.


	9. Brothers

_Author's Notes: I had so many cool ideas for the name of this chapter, yet somehow I finalized it with the most boring chapter name I thought of! Oh well, the name fits the theme best even if it isn't cool. Thank you to everyone that had favorited, followed, and reviewed this story so far. You guys are the reason I keep writing :)_

* * *

Chapter 9

Brothers

Starscream lay on a medical berth; damaged to the point where it was difficult to tell at a glance who he was. Energon pumped through his systems via an I.V. drip, and Thundercracker and Skywarp stood by his berth while the Constructicons worked on him.

"He almost offlined this time, Warp. I could feel it," Thundercracker whispered; his voice a mix between amazement and fear.

"Well, you can't really blame Megatron this time," Skywarp pointed out, "Thanks to Screamer we now have 5 more mouths to fuel. Not to mention they're criminals."

"Can you imagine what would've happened if Starscream's plan had worked?" Thundercracker asked as he continued to stare down at his trine brother's surgery, "Megatron would be dead right now, and so would the Combaticons. Starscream never planned on giving them the power converters they needed. He either would've shot them or simply left them to starve."

The plan they spoke of occurred when Starscream had finally gone too far with trying to usurp Megatron's authority. Starscream had tried to start a rebellion and take control, then had actually gone so far as to shoot Megatron in the back! Megatron's response was to banish Starscream (a light sentence considering) and force the seeker out of the Decepticons. Starscream countered this move by resurrecting the condemned sparks of 5 of the Decepticons' worst criminals. He gave them new bodies and the ability to combine. Their team name was the Combaticons, and their gestalt form was named Bruticus.

Thundercracker was still shocked by how close Bruticus had come to crushing Megatron to death. Starscream forced Megatron to say he would step down from the Decepticons or risk dying by the servos of his new monstrosity. Starscream likely would've killed Megatron regardless, but the added humiliation would seal Starscream's position of dominance. Only the arrival of Menasor, the Stunticons' gestalt form, had saved Megatron's life and sealed Starscream's fate.

A lot had happened since then. Arrests, releases, and the Combaticons swearing loyalty to Megatron had all happened within the span of a week. Pit, the entire planet was almost melted to slag thanks to those maniacal morons that dared to call themselves a combiner unit! When it was all over though, Megatron could only think of one punishment appropriate for the red and silver seeker; another brutal beating. This time though, Megatron had been so blinded by rage that he had nearly killed his reinstated SIC.

"You know, Starscream and I went to Cybertron before the mutiny," Skywarp informed Thundercracker, "He said he wanted to go to Vector Sigma. I asked him why, and he said he wanted sparklings. Vector Sigma rejected him of course, but I think I know what he really wanted now."

Thundercracker turned his attention fully to Skywarp then; silently inviting him to continue speaking.

"Starscream was trying to make a combiner unit all along," Skywarp explained, his look serious and his tone surprisingly insightful, "He was inspired by Megatron using Vector Sigma to make the Stunticons, so he wanted his own combiner that would be loyal to him and help him take control. He didn't get it though, so he tried to mutiny without one. Then he remembered the prison where dismembered sparks were kept. He picked the ones most likely to hate Megatron. TC...what's _wrong_ with him?"

"What do you mean, Warp?" Thundercracker asked, though he already suspected what Skywarp was going to say.

"Starscream's been trying to take over since he became second, that much we know already, but something's different about him lately," Skywarp replied solemnly, "He's getting more desperate...greedier. He's trying harder than ever before, and it feels like he's... _serious_ this time. I don't know how to explain it. It always felt like he just wanted attention before, but now...TC, he means it."

"He always meant it," Thundercracker replied; his voice a low rumble, "Starscream never looked at Megatron the way you and I did. We wanted to follow Megatron to a better tomorrow for Cybertron. We wanted to be conquerors and take down the weak and ineffectual council. We were Decepticons because of Megatron. Not Starscream. He was a Decepticon _despite_ Megatron. I still remember when we were training as cadets shortly after enlisting as Decepticons. The three of us got into a conversation with Blitzwing in the halls of the military academy. Blitzwing started talking about how cool Megatron was, and you started enthusiastically agreeing with him. I think I even said something to the effect of 'Yeah, Megatron is slagging awesome!', and Starscream just crossed his arms and scowled. He was completely quiet. I had never seen Starscream clam up like that before, but the look of utter hatred and jealousy was clear on his face plate. Even in the beginning, he hated Megatron."

"But...I don't understand," Skywarp replied; trying to think of some way to deny what he was hearing, " _Screamer_ convinced _us_ to join the Decepticons. He wanted it first. So, why would he want it so badly if he hates Megatron?"

"Same reason we wanted it," Thundercracker shrugged, "Because he was tired of the council's slag. He wanted power, and he wanted to be treated as just as good as any elite. Seekers were treated as garbage before the Decepticons, and Starscream was just as aware of that as any of us. That's why he wanted this."

Suddenly a loud beeping could be heard in the medbay, and the Constructicons started shouting orders at each other! They scrambled to search for monitors, energon, and tools. Skywarp looked around in confusion trying to figure out what was going on, but Thundercracker could already see it. Starscream's spark had stopped for a moment, and it was fluctuating at an irregular rate. He was dying.

" _What's going on?_ " Skywarp asked heatedly while pulling Scrapper off to the side to face him.

"Starscream's lost a lot of spark energy," Scrapper explained, "He needs an energy transfer if he's gonna make it."

"I'll do it," Thundercracker replied without hesitation.

"You can't," Hook said from his position tending to Starscream's laser core, "We've already checked. You don't have the right energy signature for the procedure. No one on this ship does."

"Why not?" Skywarp asked challengingly, "We're a trine! No one is closer to him than us!"

"This isn't about closeness," Scrapper told him, "This is about a specific energy signature. Starscream has a very rare spark energy, and no one on this ship has a matching signature. All we can do now is keep him comfortable. Look, you've got an early shift tomorrow, so you two should get out of here and get some recharge."

"We're not leaving Screamer!" Skywarp shouted angrily.

"Warp," Thundercracker grabbed his arm and looked at him with a stern glare, "Let's go."

Skywarp was about to object, but then Thundercracker transmitted over the comm and said /Don't worry, I have an idea./

Skywarp smirked and teleported Thundercracker out of the medbay and all the way across the ship into Thundercracker's quarters.

"Okay TC, what's the plan?" Skywarp asked eagerly as soon as they were alone.

"They said no one on board this ship has the right spark energy, but they never said anything about mechs _outside_ the ship," Thundercracker replied conspiratorially, "We just need to find an Autobot here on earth with the right energy and bring them here. Then steal the spark energy from them and give it to Starscream."

"I like that plan," Skywarp nodded approvingly, "But how are we gonna find out who has the right spark?"

"Simple, we go to the one mech on this miserable planet that will do anything for a price," Thundercracker said with a sly smirk.

* * *

The Combaticon base was almost finished, and Swindle couldn't wait. Onslaught had been riding their tailpipes pretty bad lately trying to keep them from fragging off Megatron. The Combaticon leader knew the silver warlord wouldn't give them another chance if they screwed up again, and after nearly killing Starscream they couldn't exactly expect his help if things should go wrong again.

One good thing about earth was that there were lots of ways to make deals. Swindle could sell and trade things with the other Decepticons, blackmail and sell information to them, and even buy and sell with the humans. At first most of Swindle's clients were nervous about working with a Decepticon, but his slick charm and disarming smile eventually won him several high-paying customers. At least as far as business went life was good.

Swindle was counting up his earth currency when he overheard the unmistakable roar of seeker engines. At first he worried it was Megatron's goons come to take him away, but then he remembered that for once he hadn't done anything, so he put on his winning smile and waited for the flying flunkies to land.

Thundercracker and Skywarp transformed right in front of Swindle's desk, which was still outside since his part of the base didn't have a roof yet.

"Hey there fellas, what can I do for you?" Swindle asked innocently.

"We need information on the Autobots," Thundercracker demanded without preamble.

"Of course, of course. Information I got," Swindle replied as he gestured expansively with his arms, "So, what are you lookin' for exactly?"

"This is a scan of Starscream's medical records," Thundercracker took a data pad out of his subspace and showed it to Swindle, "Right here, where it shows his spark signature, we're looking for an Autobot that matches this."

"Starscream's dyin'?" Swindle asked without a hint of concern, "Fine, fine, I'll help you, but it'll cost you."

"Oh we know _just_ what price we want to pay," Skywarp replied maliciously before pointing his missile launchers at Swindle's helm, "We'll pay you by letting you keep your helm. You refuse to help us, you die. Does that sound like a fair deal, _Combaticon_?"

Swindle gulped and nodded vigorously.

"Good, now who has a match for Starscream?" Thundercracker asked roughly.

Swindle examined the chart carefully for a few seconds, and then pulled up a list from his data banks of Autobot medical records. Updating it had been a real pain in the aft, but as it turned out paying Rumble those credits to swipe it for him had been worth it. If he hadn't had this, those crazy seekers might've killed him.

"Accordin' to my records, there's only one Autobot that matches Starscream," Swindle informed them after a few minutes.

"I hope it isn't Omega Supreme," Skywarp simpered with a weak laugh.

"Nope, it's Silverbolt," Swindle told them.

"That youngling that leads the Aerialbots?" Thundercracker asked, and Swindle nodded, "Well, this should be easy. That overgrown sparkling is weak and afraid of heights. Come on Warp, let's go grab us an Autobrat."

* * *

The Aerialbots were running flight maneuvers to try to hone their skills as combat fliers. Well, it had started out that way at least, but Silverbolt wash learning that keeping his brothers focused and poised was no easy feat. He was already very far behind them, and he could hear their chatter over the comm systems.

/Do a barrel roll!/ Fireflight hollered over the comm at Slingshot.

Slingshot replied by spinning around and around like a top in the air, and Fireflight and Air Raid whooped and cheered with glee.

/That wasn't a barrel roll, you dope!/ Skydive groused, /According to my aviation history book, what you just did is called an aileron roll! A barrel roll involves looping in a circle! _A circle!_ /

/Yeah, well it's called a barrel roll on Starfox 64, so stuff it!/ Slingshot snapped back at his bookworm brother.

/I thought it was cool,/ Fireflight commented.

/Yeah, me too,/ Air Raid added, /Skydive is just jealous of your moves, Slingshot./

/Who isn't?/ The cocky jet preened.

Silverbolt, despite being leader, was lagging behind the others so that he could stay lower to the ground. While he could fly, he had trouble flying too high. It seemed like a cosmic joke that he was born a flier. How he often wished that he could be a ground vehicle like most of the other Autobots. Sadly though, leading these airheads into battle was his lot in life.

Just as he was thinking this, he was suddenly caught in a massive sonic boom! His audials fritzed for a couple seconds, and when he could hear again he noticed his comm link was broken. Thundercracker flew overhead, and Silverbolt needed help to fight off the larger Decepticon. His brothers were so far ahead of him that they didn't even notice he was in distress, and before he could catch up he felt someone tackle him to the ground!

Skywarp sat on top of the silver jet, and Silverbolt transformed to try to push the seeker off him. Before he could though, Skywarp teleported away with him. Silverbolt saw a purple flash, felt a tank-churning disorientation, and the next thing he knew he was surrounded by purple walls. He was in the Decepticon base!

/Hey TC, I got him!/ Skywarp exclaimed over the comm, /You can come back now. He's in my room, and he's not going anywhere until you get here./

/Got it. I'm on my way,/ Thundercracker replied before cutting off the comm.

Silverbolt looked around wildly, seeing a berth, posters of femmes and jets, a desk, and a doorway that was blocked by his captor. Skywarp's face was plastered with a feral grin, and Silverbolt knew then that he was in serious danger.


	10. No Good Deed

_Author's Notes: I wanted to make this chapter longer, but I got pretty tired writing this so I'm posting as-is. The chapter hits all the right notes; the only thing I'm disappointed in is the short word count. Thank you guys so much for reading. I write these stories for you. Please review, favorite, and follow to see more :)_

* * *

Chapter 10

No Good Deed

Silverbolt stared at his captor, and Skywarp stared back as he blocked the doorway. Silverbolt tried to calculate a way to escape not only the room but also the Decepticon warship, and Skywarp just continued to look like he was fantasizing about Silverbolt's helm on a pike. That gleeful yet sadistic look was unsettling, and Skywarp didn't seem too interested in breaking the awkward tension in the room.

"Why did you bring me here?" Silverbolt finally demanded when Skywarp continued to do nothing but look at him with a slasher smile.

"Oh, we don't want much really," Skywarp shrugged nonchalantly, but in a more sinister voice added, "Just your spark."

"If you are going to kill me then why wait?" Silverbolt asked defiantly despite the fear he felt inside, "Is this Megatron's doing?"

"Nah, our mighty leader doesn't even know you're here," Skywarp replied; clearly enjoying Silverbolt's confusion and dread, "And if you don't want him to find out then you'll do exactly as we say."

"Who's _we_?" Silverbolt inquired.

"TC and I," Skywarp replied, but then asked, "Or is it TC and me? I can never get grammar right. Starscream says I sound like a Silurian simpleton. I don't know what that means but I'm pretty sure it's insulting. Screamer's...got a pretty big vocabulary when it comes to insults."

Skywarp's facial expression changed in that moment. Silverbolt was surprised to see that Skywarp went from a casual demeanor to a forlorn one. He wondered what had upset the purple and black seeker so much. Silverbolt wondered if perhaps Skywarp was sensitive about his lack of intelligence. He thought that maybe if he tried showing sympathy for his captor that he could convince the seeker to let him go.

"Skywarp, I know how it feels to be looked down on," Silverbolt said in what he hoped was an empathetic tone, "My brothers and I are the youngest members of our team. The other Autobots look at us like we can't do anything right without orders. Ironhide can be especially callous because we're young, but I know we're not stupid, and I don't think you're stupid either."

"Says the guy who got captured because he's afraid of falling even though he can fly," Skywarp remarked with a snort, "Eh, look on the bright side kid, at least you aren't as stupid and crazy as the Stunticons. It's like those guys _know_ they shouldn't exist. I'm not even sure they'll be able to change their alt modes when they leave earth. They're made out of earth cars! Fragging _earth cars_! At least you have wings and were built on Cybertron."

"Gee, um, thanks...I think," Silverbolt replied uncertainly; unsure if he was being complemented or not.

Just then, the door to Skywarp's room opened and Thundercracker walked through; his face plate unreadable as always. Silverbolt and his gestalt had studied the seekers for some time now (Silverbolt for battle strategy purposes and his brothers because they thought the elite trine was cool). Silverbolt knew Skywarp was easy to trick, but he also knew Thundercracker rarely gave anything away through either words or body language. Working his way around this seeker would be far more difficult.

"Is he ready?" Thundercracker asked as he gestured to Silverbolt.

"Oh yeah, I was supposed to knock him out, wasn't I?" Skywarp replied sheepishly, "One sec, TC! I think I know where to find a spare null ray..."

"You can't use laser weapons on him, Warp," Thundercracker informed him, "That might weaken his spark. We need it intact for the operation."

" _Operation_!?" Silverbolt shouted in near panic, "Wait, when you said you wanted my spark, you were being literal? What are you monsters planning to do to me?"

"Nothing you'll walk away from if you don't shut up!" Skywarp threatened, "Okay, maybe I could use a blunt force weapon against his helm?"

Silverbolt gulped when he realized he was surrounded and the Decepticons were definitely planning on hurting him.

"No Warp, I think it would work better if the Autobot were conscious for the operation," Thundercracker told him.

"But he'll just scream and distract the Constructicons," Skywarp pointed out.

"Wait!" Silverbolt cried out desperately, "Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?"

"You didn't tell him?" Thundercracker asked Skywarp.

"Why should I? If he thinks he has a choice he'll just say no," Skywarp shrugged.

Thundercracker sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose cone. He walked toward Silverbolt, and the young jet reflexively backed away from the menacing blue seeker. Thundercracker kept walking closer into Silverbolt's personal space until Silverbolt was backed against the purple wall, and Silverbolt stared up at the Decepticon feeling cornered.

"Starscream is dying," Thundercracker said without preamble, and Silverbolt looked up at him in shock, "Our brother and air commander won't survive without a spark energy transplant. We only need a small percent of your spark energy, and if all goes well there should be no side effect for either of you after the surgery."

"That makes sense I suppose, but why do you need me? Why can't one of you do it?" Silverbolt asked suspiciously.

"Because you are the only one on this miserable planet that has the same energy signature as Starscream," Thundercracker lamented, "You're the only one that can save his life, and you'll do it even if we have to rip that spark from your chassis. We won't let Starscream die this way. Now, if you want to get out of this alive I suggest you do as you're told and give us what we want."

"I must admit, I don't relish the idea of saving the life of one so cruel," Silverbolt replied thoughtfully, "However, I can only imagine the pain you must be going through right now. I have brothers too, and I would tear apart the matrix itself to save them if they were in the same position," Silverbolt then sighed deeply before saying, "Alright, I will help you in any way I can, but I expect you to keep your end of the bargain. I'm allowed to leave after the surgery is over. No tricks."

"No tricks," Thundercracker agreed, "Now, follow us. We need to hurry if we're going to make it in time."

Silverbolt nodded resolutely, and then followed Thundercracker to where Skywarp was standing and waiting for them. The purple seeker then grabbed hold of both of them and teleported everyone to the medbay.

* * *

 **Long Ago**

Starscream tripled checked his subspace to make certain he had everything he needed. The Kaon branch of the Decepticon recruiting office was right there. All he had to do was walk through those doors and there would be no going back.

Was he ready? Did he really want to join the faction that was ruled over by the evil Megatron? Yes, he was, and he did. Starscream knew from personal experience how the council was trying to make his kind weak and dependent on them for survival. He saw the starving Empties in the streets, he saw seekers with bright futures turned away because they didn't have the credits or connections to do any better. He saw his grandsire unable to afford medical care when he became old and frail.

Starscream nodded to himself and then confidently stepped forward to meet his destiny. Megatron would need to die, but someday the Decepticons would pave the way to a truly glorious future where the strong could be strong, and the weak would no longer use money and tradition to cow them.

Starscream looked around the poorly lit room. He knew the Decepticons were not the type to waste valuable resources on excess electricity, but the dim lighting and gunmetal furnishings made the place look foreboding.

He walked over to the burly green gun-former mech standing behind the front desk, but before he could say anything the mech asked "Designation?"

"Starscream, of Vos," Starscream answered, "I'm here to join the Decepticons."

"Vos...That city was recently invaded," The mech noted, "Are you certain you are not merely attempting to save yourself from our wrath?"

"I'm not, but I don't really think it would matter if I was," Starscream argued, "Victory comes from numbers. You need every mech you can get your servos on, and that means you need me. So, where do I go to get sworn in?"

"Heh heh, you're a piston, I'll say that much," The gun-former chuckled with amusement, "Alright, _Starscream_ , what are your fields of expertise?"

"Cybernetics, energon scouting, weapons design, and organic studies," Starscream rattled off.

Of course, he was lying about the weapons. He theoretically could make weapons, but he had never actually tried to before. Still, there was nothing wrong with padding one's résumé.

"Very good," The mech nodded approvingly, "One final question: Is your trine with us or against us?"

"Um, I don't have a trine yet," Starscream admitted, deflating at the reminder.

Most seekers Starscream's age had trines of their own by now, but between his career, his imprisonment, and his picking up the pieces of his life afterward, Starscream never had time to find his own trine. He feared at this point he was too old to be considered a good wingmate.

"All Decepticon seekers must be trined," The mech informed him, "The extra energy and military coordination is essential for a good soldier. Of course, I'm not surprised an academy boy like you isn't trined. Not many seekers in Iacon, huh?"

Starscream growled at this stranger's audacity, and his optics burned in anger.

"Hey, calm down. We have a provision for trine-impaired mechs like you," The green mech told him, "You can be arranged with a trine. It's not as good as a trine you find yourself, but at least it's guaranteed. Given your intellect, I could put you down as trine commander. Does that sound good to you, academy boy?"

"Call me that again and I'll break your nose cone," Starscream threatened, "Still, you do have a good idea. As long as I'm commander, then I don't care who or what I get stuck with."

"Very good," The mech nodded before typing in some commands on his computer, "I'll put your name in the registry and...I'm gonna need your comm codes to let you know when two matches have been found."

Starscream gave the mech his code and shortly afterward left for the hotel where he was staying. He didn't expect such a barbaric bunch to have so much red tape. It would be worth it though. The Decepticon cause would give him purpose, getting closer to Megatron would give him revenge, and as an added bonus a trine would give him a new family to care about. Hopefully.

* * *

Starscream awoke feeling groggy and disoriented. He tried to think where he was and why. Oh yeah. Megatron had beaten him for building Bruticus to overthrow him and sticking the Decepticons with the Combaticons. He felt sore, and his intakes had difficulty functioning.

He onlined his optics to see what was going on. On his left against the wall were his two wingmates, in recharge in two chairs. They had probably been there for joors. Starscream was surprised they would recharge here, since him getting beaten up by Megatron wasn't exactly new.

He suddenly heard a sharp gasp to his right, and turned his helm around to see who it was. Lying there on another berth with bright blue optics looking at Starscream in fear was one of the Autobots! Starscream knew it was an Aerialbot, but he couldn't remember his designation.

"What are you doing here, _Autobot_?" Starscream spat in contempt.

"I saved your life," Silverbolt replied in a sharp tone of voice; clearly not happy with that fact or the position he was in, "I donated part of my spark to you."

" _What_!?" Starscream shouted; affronted, "Why didn't _they_ do it!?" He demanded as he pointed to his sleeping trine.

"They couldn't," Hook explained as he came from behind a curtain on the other side of the medbay, "Your energy signature is very rare, and Silverbolt was the only one on the entire planet that was a match. Now, you will both feel weakened for a few orns, but afterward you should both be back to normal health. In the meantime I suggest you get some rest. You'll both need it."

"I can't stay here," Silverbolt replied worriedly, "I need to get back to the Ark."

"You seriously think we're just going to let you go?" Starscream asked derisively, "You are an Autobot, and a vital component to build Superion. I think scrapping you for parts is a more fitting action to take."

"But I saved you life, Starscream!" Silverbolt exclaimed in righteous indignation, "You really have no problem with killing someone who gave up part of their own energy signature to save you?"

"Not really," Starscream replied dismissively, "I've killed thousands of Autobots. You are no different than they are."

"Oh yes I am," Silverbolt argued, "What if this happens again? With Megatron's temper it's very likely that your spark chamber could rupture again. If it does, then I'm the only one on this entire planet with the right spark energy to help you. You need me to be alive, for your own sake if nothing else."

"That is true," Starscream admitted begrudgingly, "However, there is nothing that says you have to be freed to be of use. You will be of much greater use to me in the brig."

"Wait!" Silverbolt shouted as he noticed Starscream activate a comm link, "Starscream, don't do this. Thundercracker and Skywarp promised me I would be set free after the operation! Starscream!"

/Ramjet, this is Starscream,/ Starscream spoke into the comm; ignoring Silverbolt's cries, /Come to the medbay at once. I have an Autobot prisoner. Oh, and um, don't tell anyone about this. I have plans for this Autobot.../


	11. The Making of a Trine

_Author's Notes: I had fun writing this chapter. It's pretty dialogue heavy, but it's still a decent chapter nonetheless. Most of it is told through Thundercracker's POV, and that's always fun to do. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter of "Little Prince, thank you for your support, and please review :)_

* * *

Chapter 11

The Making of a Trine

Thundercracker entered the brig to find Silverbolt sitting on a cot looking forlorn as he stared down at the ground. Thundercracker felt a slight pang of sympathy for the young jet. He knew a flier being forced in confinement was a punishment that rivaled death itself. He also knew however that Starscream wanted this prisoner to remain, so Thundercracker had no real power to release the Autobot.

Silverbolt looked up to see Thundercracker sitting in a chair near his cell as a guard, and he scowled bitterly.

"You promised I would be released if I helped you," Silverbolt reminded him immediately.

"You should have known I didn't have that kind of power," Thundercracker rumbled in a low voice, "Starscream is my trine commander, and what he says goes."

"That's preposterous!" Silverbolt shouted defiantly, "Just because Starscream leads you in flight formation does not give him the right to dictate your morality!"

"Heh, you don't know much about leadership, do you?" Thundercracker asked rhetorically, "No, of course you don't. You're the leader of your gestalt, yet your brothers have no qualms about defying you or embarrassing you in front of your team. They haven't even bothered to attempt a rescue yet. Face it kid, you don't know how the universe works."

"You're wrong! When my brothers figure out where I am they'll come for me!" Silverbolt exclaimed resolutely, "There is still...one thing I don't understand about you and your trine. You obviously have the calmest processor, and Skywarp clearly has the greatest power with his teleportation. So, why is Starscream in charge? Is it because he's older? Is he Megatron's favorite? What hold does he have on you that you are willing to besmirch your honor for him?"

"It's not a very interesting story, Silverbolt," Thundercracker replied with a shrug, "Seeker culture and Decepticon drafting practices aren't nearly as intriguing as you'd think."

"Tell me anyway," Silverbolt insisted, "I have nothing else to do in here, and since my only crime was saving your ungrateful brother's life the least you could do is indulge me this one time."

"Humph, you know, when you talk like that you almost sound like Starscream," Thundercracker chuckled; much to Silverbolt's annoyance, "Oh, alright. First thing you need to remember is that most seeker trines are not comprised of CNA related brothers. The act of trining is more like a brother marriage. In my case it was an arranged trining since there weren't many seekers left in Vos after the place was razed to the ground in a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons."

"That must have been awful," Silverbolt commented sympathetically.

"It was," Thundercracker replied solemnly, "Though I didn't have any family or friends there I cared about. My sire died when I was a sparkling, and I had been in the foster care system going from home to home ever since. I didn't really form attachments. When I was of age I took my caste-assigned place as a military seeker, but I always knew my caste was looked down upon and I would never be able to use my full potential without the energon I needed to thrive. I joined the Decepticons to fight the injustice of the caste system and take my rightful place as a force to be reckoned with among the victorious conquerors of Cybertron."

"But Megatron is evil," Silverbolt replied in hushed tones.

"Yeah, but you have to admit he gets stuff done," Thundercracker replied with a wry smile, "Skywarp's situation was the exact opposite of mine. He came from a large family that might be better described as an Insecticon colony. There were four generations of trines living in Skywarp's family home. He had parents, uncles and aunts, cousins, and six siblings. He was popular in Vos due to being on the synchronized flight team at his vocational school. It might not sound like much now, but Vos was a city that loved its sports teams, and synchronized flight was the most glorified of them all. Even I knew who Skywarp was by the time we first met."

"How did you meet?" Silverbolt asked curiously.

"I signed up for a trine when I joined the Decepticons since Megatron wouldn't accept seeker's without trines," Thundercracker explained, "He believed it kept us disciplined yet driven to have teammates we could count on. I didn't really want to join a trine but I wanted to be a Decepticon so badly that I agreed to it. I was assigned to be the right wing of my team. I'll never forget when I first met them..."

* * *

Thundercracker waited in the small copper plated room to meet his new trine. He was sure they would place him with a competent team since he had a sigma ability. Thundercracker had the ability to create sonic booms while standing perfectly still, so he therefore assumed his powers would land him an air commander position. As it turned out he was going to be right wing. Whoever his team was, they had to be incredibly powerful for another to take the spot of air commander.

Another sigh escaped Thundercracker's intakes as he waited. He knew he was a little early, but at this point he was sure his new trine mates were running late. This was ridiculous! He was the pride of the Helex Military Academy. He should not be kept waiting like this.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a purple light flashed in the center of the room; nearly blinding Thundercracker. When he onlined his optics again he saw a black, purple, and silver colored seeker standing there looking around the room shiftily for some unseen threat.

"Hey mech, is it safe in here?" The newcomer whispered nervously.

"Why are you hiding?" Thundercracker asked abruptly; not willing to play games with some random flake.

"Physicals," The stranger replied quietly, "I came here to get trined, but they make you take a physical first!"

"I know. I already got mine," Thundercracker replied unsympathetically, "Are you seriously here to volunteer to give your life to the Decepticon cause when you're afraid of a simple medic?"

"It's not the medic, mech! It's the biopsies!" The stranger replied frantically, "I scanned the tools in there, and that medic hasn't sterilized his equipment in 0.6 vorns! He also referred to a tertiary fuel line as a systematic fuel line when that is clearly inaccurate! I am not trusting my body to some medical wannabe! I have my pride!"

"Okay, so you're too... _smart_ for a physical?" Thundercracker asked in befuddlement.

"Yeah, you'll think too smart when you have a rust infection and I don't," The purple seeker huffed, "By the way, since this is room Alpha Zed 55, I'm guessing you're either Thundercracker or Starscream."

"I am Thundercracker. And you are?" Thundercracker asked warily.

"The name's Skywarp, and I'm your new left wing," Skywarp replied jovially.

* * *

"Wait a minute!" Silverbolt interrupted the story, "That was _Skywarp_? Did he really sound that articulate when you first met him?"

"Yeah, he wasn't always the simpleton we know now," Thundercracker replied with a hint of melancholy to his words, "Teleportation requires a lot of processor space. Whenever he maps out a new location it takes a little more away from his other systems. Truth is, he's only a shell of the mech he used to be."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know," Silverbolt apologized sincerely.

"May I continue now?" Thundercracker growled.

"Yes, sorry," Silverbolt replied sheepishly.

* * *

"The name's Skywarp, and I'm your new left wing," Skywarp replied jovially; the former traces of fear gone in an instant.

"Skywarp? As in the synchronized flier?" Thundercracker asked incredulously, "So that's why you can teleport! You're Skywarp!"

"Eh, synchronized flying is cool, but it's not my passion," Skywarp replied nonchalantly, "The truth is I'm an inventor at spark. I don't actually like to talk about my orns on the team. I played professionally in an effort to save money to go to the Iacon Science Academy and not have to serve as a military drone. I finally saved up my money...I was careful and I did everything right. You know what happened?"

"They turned you down," Thundercracker stated rather than guessed.

"You got that right!" Skywarp growled angrily, "They turned me down because I was a seeker! I showed them my grades, but apparently my grades in calligraphy and history weren't high enough, so they used that as an excuse. Most other frame types wouldn't even have to care about those grades if they excelled at science, math, and had extra credits in sports. I could've been something, Thundercracker. Now I'm not even good enough to be the central member of our trine."

"Neither was I," Thundercracker told him dryly, "So, who did you say our new trine commander is?"

"Starscream is his name, though I don't know much about him," Skywarp admitted, "I did however read the Autobot official record on him. Apparently he's a convicted murderer that did time for killing a shuttle out in the far reaches of the galaxy. The record also mentions that he killed three mechs during his prison term. One of them was found with his fuel pump missing."

Thundercracker felt a cold chill shiver down his struts. So that was why he and Skywarp weren't in command. The Decepticons needed more than soldiers. They needed killers, and this Starscream character had killed mechs in cold energon. Considering they gave this Starscream mech a trine with two sigma-powered seekers, Starscream must have had some sort of incredible power.

The door opened, and both seekers flinched involuntarily, then looked at each other as if to say 'I won't tell if you won't'. The seeker in the doorway was red, silver, and blue. His confident smirk and arrogant stride was enough to tell them that this was likely their dreaded air commander. Thundercracker wondered how such a ruthless mech would treat his trine brothers.

"So, which of you is Thundercracker and which is Skywarp?" Starscream asked without preamble.

"I am Thundercracker, and this is Skywarp," Thundercracker replied with more calm than he felt, "Are you our soon-to-be commander?"

"I am," Starscream replied appraisingly, and then pulled out a metal box from his subspace, "I know energon is scarce, but I went ahead and used my credit advance to get us some mid-grade flavored with potassium and magnesium."

The other two seekers, despite their wariness, were both starving and instinctively walked toward the box and peered inside. It was a bunch of small cubes of energon treats! The box looked expensive, and Thundercracker couldn't help but wonder why this supposed murderer would spend so lavishly on two seekers he had just met. Of course, these questions went unasked as he and Skywarp started stuffing their faces with the delicious treats.

Starscream took out a treat for himself and ate it slowly as he watched the other two engorge themselves. After a few moments of silence only cut by satisfied chewing noises, Thundercracker finally realized that Starscream had been watching them.

"Um, thank you for the gift, sir," Thundercracker finally thought to say.

"Not a problem," Starscream replied with a knowing smirk, "Now I know that my possessions should be locked away where you two won't be able to locate them. That was a test to see if you would restrain yourselves or ask permission before taking the energon. You failed, by the way. Welcome to my team, slaggers."

Thundercracker just stared at Starscream and Skywarp's jaw actually opened in shock. Starscream went through all that just to tell them that he didn't trust them? That was when Thundercracker knew that living with Starscream was going to be a never-ending cycle of complicated intrigue and mind games.

* * *

"And it's been that way ever since," Thundercracker concluded his story, "We used to get along better, to be honest. Starscream and Skywarp used to talk science all the time, and there were moments when it really felt like we were a family. I expected to be the one shut out of the group, but the truth is Skywarp and I get along pretty well. Starscream, however...He gets worse every vorn. He really started treating us like slag after he was promoted to second in command under Megatron. He really changed after that, but I don't really know why."

"Did you ever find out who he killed?" Silverbolt asked, "You know, the murder that sent him to prison."

"No," Thundercracker replied with a shrug, "Though it hardly matters. Starscream has killed thousands of mechs and femmes. The fact that his first time was from before the war is hardly relevant. Truth is even after all this time I still don't know much about Starscream. I don't know about his family, about his past, or about why power is such a huge deal to him. The closest we came to learning anything was a couple years ago when we went to the Arctic to siphon the earth's core. We found a mech there named Skyfire."

"I know Skyfire," Silverbolt replied, "He's a quiet mech, but very reliable."

"Yeah, well he was almost a Decepticon," Thundercracker informed him, "Starscream knew him before the war, and because of that the mech was going to join us. We'd still have him too, if it weren't for Starscream's itchy trigger finger. Skyfire questioned an order, and Starscream tried to kill him. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. After all, if Skywarp and I don't matter to him then why should some nobody from ten million years ago?"

Suddenly, Thundercracker heard shots coming from outside and heard a grunt that sounded like Thrust falling to the ground. He pointed his missile launcher at the door and took a defensive stance in front of the cell.

The door was smashed open, and Slingshot and Skydive ran into the brig! Silverbolt smiled at his brothers who had come to save him, and Thundercracker held his weapon on their level but didn't actually fire. The two Aerialbots ran past Thundercracker without even noticing him.

"Slingshot! Skydive!" Silverbolt cheered jubulantly, "You came!"

"Of course we came," Slingshot snorted, "Fireflight and Air Raid are outside shooting at the Nemesis to create a distraction."

"Um, Slingshot..." Skydive poked Slingshot's shoulder and then pointed at the still motionless Thundercracker.

"Just try it, 'Con!" Slingshot snapped as he pushed Thundercracker challengingly; not even able to move the seeker an inch, "You want a piece of me? _Huh_?"

"No, I don't," Thundercracker replied quietly, "I know I shouldn't do this, but take your brother and go. I'll make up an excuse."

"You're really going to let me leave?" Silverbolt asked uncertainly, "But why?"

"Because even though Starscream is a pain in the aft and a stone cold killer, he's still my brother," Thundercracker said with a wry smile, "And you were right. You saved his life, so I owe you at least this much."

Silverbolt smiled gratefully, and his brothers blasted the bars and ran off with him. Thundercracker watched the Autobot jets leave and for once in his life actually wanted the Autobots to escape.


	12. The King Has Fallen

_Author's Notes: Well, this is where the story goes into serious AU territory. Of course with a fic about Starscream being Optimus' and Elita's son, how could it not? Anyway, this chapter would've been out yesterday, but I was having issues with the site again. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter of Little Prince :)_

* * *

Chapter 12

The King Has Fallen

It was a sight Optimus Prime would never forget. This was one of the most anticipated yet one of the most crushing moments of the Prime's entire life, and it had happened during what seemed to be just another battle to protect the humans from becoming casualties of the Decepticons' thirst for energon.

It had happened so quickly. The Autobots driving up to save the workers at the Hoover Dam, Megatron crushing an innocent human to death in his servo, and Prime firing on the warlord took only seconds, yet it changed everything. Optimus actually saw Megatron's spark through the hole in his chassis, and he saw as that spark dissipated into the ether and Megatron's body expired. Megatron was finally dead, and the Decepticons seemed at a loss for how to respond.

"Megatron has fallen!" Starscream screeched above the silence of the stunned crowd, "Decepticons, retreat!"

The Constructicons grabbed Megatron's body and the Decepticons flew away. The Autobots cheered for Optimus, but he felt no satisfaction from this. He knew one day he would either have to kill Megatron or die by his fusion cannon, but it was still the life of a Cybertronian, even if he was a monster.

When they made it back to the Ark the Autobots celebrated with high grade and music, but Optimus quietly snuck away from the party and retired to his room. He took an old photo album out of his subspace, and looked back on his old life to remind himself of why he was fighting and why he had to do what he did.

The first photo was one of himself, Ariel, and Dion. They were standing outside the Oil Springs National Park in Helex. Orion was trying to look tough in the picture by flexing his arm, Ariel was wearing a placid smile and waving to the camera, and Dion was leaning in toward Ariel's chassis to listen to her spark. That was when she was carrying their sparkling, and Dion constantly joked about how he would be the best uncle ever. Dion was no relation to either of them, but that didn't stop him from wanting to be called the sparkling's uncle and wanting to be a part of the experience. It seemed like just last orn.

Optimus smiled wanly behind his face mask. He had been such a goofball back then. That innocence and blind optimism had made everything seem so simple back then. Back then he believed he was going to bond with Ariel, they were going to have a sparkling, and Pick Axe was finally going to respect him once he saw what a good father Orion could be.

Now it was all gone. Megatron had killed Dion, and he and his love had been forced to change their frames just to survive. Now Elita One fought alone on Cybertron against Shockwave's forces, Optimus had just killed Megatron, and the Decepticon leadership was up for grabs. He didn't know who would take Megatron's place, but he had a feeling that the war was about to get even more difficult for himself and his fellow Autobots.

He took one last look at his photo album. There were many photos from after they arrived on earth since they actually had time for pictures on this planet. There was a shot of the newly constructed Dinobots where Sludge was breathing fire on Gears. There was a photo of the Aerialbots' first flight training class. There was even a photo of several Autobots playing basketball out on the court Hoist and Grapple made for them outside the volcano.

Earth was such a fascinating young planet. Sure, they weren't completely at peace, but they still didn't deserve to have to deal with the war that Cybertron had rained down upon them. Optimus hoped the family of that dam worker would survive their grief, and that maybe disrupting the power structure of the Decepticons would finally get them off this fragile world.

* * *

Megatron's funeral was attended by every Decepticon currently stationed on earth, though if Starscream had his way the old tyrant would've been scrapped for parts after being thoroughly spat on. Soundwave was stoic as always, though Starscream wasn't surprised. He knew the TIC would be trouble, but Starscream would either convince him to switch loyalties or else eliminate the threat to his claim to leadership.

Yes, Starscream had waited for this moment for a long time. Megatron finally got what he deserved for killing their people, raping their planet, and constantly abusing and humiliating Starscream. Once Megatron's empty husk was jettisoned into the sun, Starscream would finally have the respect and power he had always craved. Nothing could stop him now.

Megatron's body was loaded onto Astrotrain, who then took off and headed for the sun. Starscream still remembered when Megatron tried to harness the power of that large yellow star for energy, and smiled wickedly as he thought about that star also being the warlord's tomb. Starscream confidently strode up to the podium and began to speak.

"My fellow Decepticons, how it pains me to stand here before you today," Starscream began with as much fake sincerity as he could manage, "Megatron was a mighty and brilliant leader, and it has been my honor to serve as his second in command. While Megatron may be gone, the Decepticon cause remains. As your new leader, I will guide the Decepticon cause to victory over the Autobots and total domination of the universe!"

His eulogy didn't get the cheers he had hoped for, but he knew they would come around once he actually got things in order. He was already imagining his coronation ceremony. He had read that human leader wore capes of fine purple fabric and regal headgear made of gold and precious stones. Yes, his ceremony would be glorious, and he would bring peace to his planet and power to the strong. Megatron's funeral was the greatest day of his life.

* * *

The next morning Starscream preened in front of the mirror admiringly at his handiwork. He had fashioned a cape out of purple satin and had made himself a golden crown with red glass jewels several months prior. He had waited patiently for this orn for so long, and finally it was here. Revenge for his family and his home, and rulership of the Decepticon cause all in one strike. He only wished it had been him that shot Megatron instead of Optimus Prime. Eh, Prime would be next anyway, so what did it matter?

A purple flash appeared in the room, and Starscream turned around with a flourish to show off the drape of his cape. Skywarp and Thundercracker were both looking at him worriedly, but then Skywarp suddenly snickered when he saw what Starscream was wearing.

" _Slag_ Screamer, you look like a comic book villain," Skywarp laughed.

"Not now Warp, this is important," Thundercracker admonished Skywarp, "Starscream, we have a serious situation in the war room."

"An Autobot attack so soon after Megatron's demise? I'm not surprised, the cowards," Starscream scoffed.

"No Starscream, it isn't Autobots," Thundercracker replied ominously, "It's the combiners."

"Which combiners?" Starscream asked.

"All of them," Thundercracker replied gravely, "The Constructicons, The Stunticons, the Combaticons, and even the Reflectors are refusing to accept you as their new leader."

"Yeah, the Coneheads tried to stick up for you, and the combiners used them for darts!" Skywarp shivered involuntarily, "They say they want Motormaster and the Stunticons to rule the Decepticons."

" _Motormaster_!?" Starscream bellowed incredulously, "Why him? He's the youngest and stupidest of all the gestalt leaders! Even _Viewfinder_ is a better choice than him!"

"We know," Thundercracker replied, "But the Stunticons made a deal with the other combiner units to garner their favor. Apparently they agreed because, and I quote, 'As Megatron's firstborn son and rightful heir, it is my duty to command the Decepticons. When I am in charge all gestalts will get their own territory to rule any way they see fit'."

"The Stunticons are _not_ Megatron's offspring!" Starscream protested, "They were built as weapons out of earth vehicles! I'm not even sure they qualify as Cybertronian! They will pay for this insubordination!"

Starscream then left his room in a huff, ready to confront the Stunticons about their mutiny.

"Wait, Screamer!" Skywarp hollered after him, "TC, they want to execute him. We've gotta tell him."

"Follow him," Thundercracker ordered without hesitation.

Thundercracker and Skywarp ran down the halls after Starscream. Skywarp would have teleported, but he was running low on energon and only had one good teleport left in him, and they knew that it would have to be reserved for the inevitable.

Starscream stormed into the war room where the combiners were conferring with Soundwave, the triple changers, and the rest of the Decepticons aboard the Nemesis. Ramjet and Thrust were still trying to pull Dirge's pointy helm out of the wall.

"Well well well, what have we here?" Motormaster asked rhetorically as he gave Starscream an evil smirk, "Looks like we have a human cosplayer."

"Yeah, nice threads, retard!" Drag Strip taunted using a human derogatory term he heard on TV, "Unless that crown's for Motormaster you have no business wearing that!"

"I am the rightful leader of the Decepticons!" Starscream declared vehemently, "You have no right to take what is rightfully mine!"

"Rightfully yours? _Hah_! That a good one!" Motormaster barked dismissively, " _We_ are the rightful heirs of Megatron's empire. It is our birthright, and if you doubt that then I will show you the might given to us by our creator."

"Yeah, and stop staring at us!" Breakdown added as he shook his fist like a grumpy old man.

Starscream took a step forward, but then thought better of it and took a step back. He was in a room full of more physically powerful mechs, and most of them hated his struts at the moment.

"The fact is Starscream that we are Decepticons," Onslaught stated calmly, "A good Decepticon worth his weight in steel must be able to fight for his right to lead and must also have the best interests of the Decepticon cause in mind. You are weak, selfish, and would undermine everything Megatron worked so hard for. Motormaster and the Stunticons on the other servo are strong, unified, and will go out of their way to live up to Megatron's exacting standards."

"It's what he would have wanted," Dead End replied as he bowed his helm in respect for the dead, "He also would have wanted us to kill you, so guess what's going to happen?"

Starscream lifted his null rays to the mouthy red Stunticon, but then realized that everyone was looking at him; their optics full of hatred and resolve. He didn't understand what was happening. They were all turning on him, but why? Didn't they realize that Megatron's way wasn't the right way? Couldn't they see that Starscream did this as much for them as for himself? His rule would have meant greater Decepticon expansion, but now they would be forced to serve under the pedes of a group of psychotic earth machines with no leadership experience.

"Starscream, you are guilty of treason and mutiny," Motormaster said in an official tone of voice, "Your punishment is death by however we feel like it. Any last words, _traitor_?"

"I have a last word!" Skywarp shouted as he and Thundercracker entered the room, "Bye!"

The other two seekers then grabbed hold of Starscream and teleported away with him. Motormaster's optics bulged in disbelief at their audacity.

" _Find them! Find the traitors and kill them!_ " Motormaster screamed.

"You got it, big guy! _Eeeeyahahaha_!" Wildrider cackled as he transformed and sped away; nearly running over Ravage in the process.

"Vortex, aide Wildrider," Onslaught ordered his gestalt brother.

"Can I do the laugh too?" Vortex asked eagerly.

Onslaught gave him a flat stare and Vortex settled for a weak simpering chuckle before he left to help search for the wayward seekers.

Motormaster wasn't about to let Starscream and his trine get away. Megatron had always wanted a united Decepticon empire. Motormaster intended to follow his late sire's wishes and build that empire, but not on Cybertron. No, Cybertron wasn't good enough for the Decepticons. He would build their new utopia on the ashes of earth's trampled remains.

* * *

Skywarp teleported his brothers over the ocean, and they transformed into jet mode so they could fly faster to get away from the Nemesis. In the process of transforming, Starscream lost his homemade king costume.

/So they've all turned on me,/ Starscream muttered over the comm system, /They'll all pay for this./

/Yeah, but in the meantime what are we gonna do?/ Skywarp whined, /I'm hungry!/

/Do we have any energon in our subspaces?/ Thundercracker asked.

They all scanned their subspace pockets, and found that Skywarp had two cubes, Thundercracker had one cube, and Starscream had an empty cube.

/ _Great_. That's only one cube for each of us,/ Thundercracker groused, /We need to find a place to refuel./

/And a place to sleep!/ Skywarp added petulantly, /I don't wanna recharge in the woods like some kind of tree!/

/You're not a tree, you're a sap,/ Starscream remarked, /Hold on...I'm picking up two readings on my sensors...It's Wildrider and Vortex, and they're closing in!/

As soon as Starscream said those ominous words Vortex came flying toward them in helicopter mode, and Wildrider came flying in while in car mode even though it slowed him down to do so. Fortunately for the seekers, Wildrider was an idiot.

/ _Die, traitors!_ / Vortex howled as he opened fire on the seekers.

They dodged and looped around Vortex in an effort to escape. Skywarp and Thundercracker evaded Vortex easily, but one of his stray shots barely grazed Starscream's left wing tip. He staggered, but quickly righted himself. It hurt like the pit but it didn't hinder him in any way.

Vortex was the type to play with his prey, so he continued to aim for nonlethal parts of their bodies. He didn't just want to capture or kill them, he wanted to have fun.

Thundercracker received shots to his undercarriage, but it wasn't even enough to slow him down. He could tell that Vortex was just playing with him, but he couldn't get close enough to attack him.

Vortex shot Skywarp in the right wing, and the purple jet started to fall since he was no longer able to control where he was going! Thundercracker transformed into robot mode and flew down to catch him. Skywarp was caught alright...by Wildrider.

" _Eeeyahahah_!" Wildrider laughed maniacally as he drove/flew away with the fallen seeker, "Motormaster's gonna gut him like a pig!"

" _No_!" Thundercracker shouted as he transformed back into jet mode.

Thundercracker chased down Wildrider, who between his own slow flight and the added weight of Skywarp's struggling body was unable to evade Thundercracker's fury. Thundercracker grabbed Skywarp and kicked Wildrider out of the way before flying away with his injured comrade.

"Can you transform?" Thundercracker asked Skywarp.

"Not really," Skywarp moaned, "I'll be okay though, TC. We just gotta get outta here."

Starscream meanwhile was in the middle of an aerial dogfight with Vortex. Neither one had inflicted much damage since Vortex couldn't catch Starscream and Starscream was trying to conserve his power now that he was a fugitive.

Starscream finally fired a null ray at the grey helicopter, but it missed. Vortex went to ram Starscream, but suddenly a sonic boom filled the area and Vortex was knocked unconscious and fell into the ocean.

"Nice timing, Thundercracker. And for once I really mean that," Starscream smirked, "What happened to Skywarp?"

"He can't transform," Thundercracker explained.

"Yeah, and it really hurts," Skywarp added, "Am I gonna be stuck like this forever?"

"Well, the good news is none of your major fuel lines were damaged," Starscream reported, "The bad news is it might get infected with organic debris if we stay out here like this."

"What do we do?" Skywarp asked in a small almost childlike voice.

"Hm...I don't want to do this, but I have an idea," Starscream sighed, "Come on. We better get moving before more of Motormaster's goons show up."

Thundercracker didn't know exactly what Starscream had in mind, but judging from Starscream's somber tone Thundercracker had a bad feeling about it. If they were going where he thought they were going, then maybe they should've just stayed behind and let themselves be executed.


	13. Asylum

_Author's Notes: I have to admit, I struggled with this chapter. I wasn't sure how to pace it, and I'm still not completely satisfied with how it turned out. Then again, I think it's normal for a writer to be critical of their own work. Anyway, sorry I took so long to get this update out, and I hope you enjoy and review this chapter of "Little Prince" :)_

* * *

Chapter 13

Asylum

The Autobots grumbled as they stepped in pede-deep water in the halls of the Ark. Wheeljack Hoist and Sparkplug were in the filtration room trying to repair the pipes that had burst after Slag rammed into them; causing the small flood. Everyone blamed the Dinobots for ruining their day, but Wheeljack thought they were being unfair to his creations. It wasn't Slag's fault he had large horns. Actually, when Wheeljack thought about it, he realized it was actually _his_ fault.

Optimus reprimanded Slag but didn't punish him. After dealing with the Dinobots for so long he realized the only one that could handle them was Grimlock, and Optimus didn't think this incident was worth talking to Grimlock about. The Dinobots were a strange case since they technically were never sparklings yet couldn't yet be considered adults. In a roundabout way they were the reason mechs like the Aerialbots and the Stunticons could even exist.

This reminded Optimus of another engagement he needed to tend to. He had promised to meet Silverbolt in the rec room so they could refuel together and discuss the progress reports on the Aerialbots' training. Optimus rarely showed it outright so no one would accuse him of favoritism, but he was truly proud of Silverbolt and everything the young gestalt leader was accomplishing with his brothers. Optimus knew it couldn't be easy since Silverbolt had a fear of heights and wasn't a very outgoing mech, but every day the young jet would do his job with little complaint. The 5 Aerialbots truly were the sons Optimus had always wanted...even Slingshot.

On his way to the rec room however Optimus was interrupted by a comm from Prowl.

/Yes, what is it?/ Optimus asked as patiently as he could manage; hoping this wouldn't ruin his plans to meet with his creation.

/There are Decepticons within our perimeter, about 3 mechano-miles from here,/ Prowl informed him, /According to Red Alert there are three of them. They are too large to be cassettes and have wings, so we assume it is either the elite trine or the Coneheads. What are your orders?/

/Tell Ironhide, Jazz, Mirage, and Bluestreak to meet me outside,/ Prime ordered, /We will deal with whatever new threat has come in the wake of Megatron's demise./

/Very good, sir. Prowl out,/ Prowl said before turning off his comm.

Optimus knew trouble would find them soon enough. The best case scenario would be if the Decepticons had decided that they wanted peace. Perhaps Optimus could sign a treaty with the new leader. That seemed unlikely, however. The likelier scenario was that the Decepticons wanted revenge for Megatron's downfall. No matter what though Optimus had a duty to protect what was left of the Autobot cause, and he knew he could count on his mechs to help him do so.

* * *

"I still say we should turn back," Thundercracker grumbled at Starscream, "This is suicide, standing so close to the Autobot base."

"You want Skywarp to be repaired, yes?" Starscream asked pointedly, "Well then, we have to take the risk."

Skywarp had gone into stasis lock while still in jet mode, and Starscream and his reluctant trine brother Thundercracker were left to guard him while standing just inside the Autobots' perimeter. They dared not get too close lest they come across as acting in an aggressive manner, but they needed to be close enough to get their attention. This was their last hope of escaping Motormaster's wrath.

Finally, after waiting for 45 minutes they saw five vehicles kicking up dust in the distance. There was a semi truck, two race cars, a Datsun, and a red van. No ambulance however, which was the one they were really hoping for.

Optimus Prime and his fellow Autobots transformed and stared at the Decepticons that had trespassed onto their territory; the elite trine. Starscream's face looked just as hard and unyielding as ever, but that was more out of habit than any actual malice. Thundercracker stood in front of Skywarp to hide the battered jet's body just in case the Autobots decided to use their moment of weakness to kill him.

"Starscream, why are you here?" Optimus yelled across the desert plain; each side several yards away from each other.

"We have come to seek political asylum, Optimus Prime!" Starscream shouted back, and almost smirked when he saw the shocked look on the faces of the other four Autobots in the group, "The Decepticons are now ruled by Motormaster, and we are in mortal danger if we stay with them. We have seen the error of our ways, and ask that you give us a chance to redeem ourselves."

"Are you kiddin' me?" Ironhide scoffed, "How did Motormouth take over the 'Cons?"

"The how and why is unimportant," Starscream sniffed; unwilling to discuss his humiliating retreat, "All that matters is we are here before you now, and we offer our services in helping you take down the Decepticons. All we ask in return is a place to call home."

"No way, Prime!" Ironhide shouted, "Don't let them trick you. This is obviously some Decepticon ploy. I mean, who would believe Motormaster is in charge and that Starscream is gonna try to play nice? I don't buy it."

"Where's Skywarp?" Bluestreak suddenly asked as he looked at them in confusion.

Thundercracker growled low, a warning to the Autobots, but then stepped aside and allowed them to see the unconscious jet.

"Is this enough to convince you of our sincerity, Prime?" Starscream sneered as he gestured to his black and purple trine mate, "Wildrider caused these injuries to Skywarp, and Skywarp will eventually perish if he doesn't receive medical treatment. Now will you believe us?"

"That does look pretty bad, Boss Bot," Jazz said softly so that the Decepticons wouldn't hear him, "Maybe they're tellin' the truth."

"Perhaps," Optimus Prime replied noncommittally.

"My suggestion is we put them in the brig until we can get to the bottom of this," Mirage added, "After all, if Skywarp actually does need medical treatment then we as Autobots should be willing to provide it."

"I still don't like this," Ironhide growled, "Somethin's up with these guys, I just know it."

Optimus, coming to a decision, stepped forward and closed the gap between the seekers and himself. Starscream kept his composure for the most part, but Optimus could tell from the slight twitch in Starscream's wings that he was nervous. Optimus then transformed into truck mode, confusing the jets.

"Load Skywarp into my trailer," Optimus commanded, "I will drive him to the base. I am sure Ratchet will be able to repair him."

"You'll really help us?" Thundercracker couldn't stop himself from asking.

"You will need to spend at least one night in the brig while we figure out how to handle this situation," Optimus replied honestly, "However, we will ensure that Skywarp gets the care he needs in the meantime. You have my word."

Thundercracker didn't move, but rather just stared at the Prime's semi-truck form. He feared that Skywarp would be killed by the Autobot butchers. After all, they were only Decepticon seekers. What qualms would an Autobot have with destroying them? Starscream, however, quickly grabbed Skywarp and shoved him in Prime's cab. He wasn't about to waste time second-guessing himself. After all, they would die out in the elements anyway, so what did they really have to lose?

* * *

The first thing that registered in Skywarp's processor was that he was no longer in pain. In fact, it felt as if he was as good as new. He wondered if the combiners had brought them back to the Nemesis and treated his injuries. Hook usually did good work. If they did, then did that mean Motormaster was giving them another chance?

The second thing Skywarp felt was warmth. The Nemesis was usually cold due to being at the bottom of the ocean, but this room felt nice and warm. The medbay was never warm though. Skywarp then wondered if he had a spark leak. Did that mean he was dying? Did Starscream give him field repairs and now he was out in the desert dying? No, no that couldn't be it, because Skywarp clearly felt the metal of a berth. This berth did feel different though, specifically because his wings were hanging off the edge. That seemed odd since all Decepticon med-berths were equipped to handle seeker wings.

Wait a breem...

In a panic, Skywarp opened his optics and the first thing he saw was orange walls. He had been captured by the Autobots!

"AHHH! Let me go, you fraggers! AHHH!" Skywarp screamed as he thrashed, but he was shackled to the berth and therefore couldn't escape, "I'll kill you! Let me go and I'll kill you! AHHH!"

"Don't you mean let me go _or_ I'll kill you?" Ratchet asked wryly as he approached the frantic seeker.

Skywarp's intakes hitched when he saw Ratchet standing over him. He was well aware of this medic's reputation. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were the scariest mechs in Prime's forces, and even they didn't dare cross the Hatchet. What kind of twisted experiments would this mad doctor perform on him?

"Well, now that you're awake," Ratchet said to his unwilling Decepticon patient, "I suppose I should fill you in on what's going on. Your trine came here asking for asylum for themselves and for you. Your case is currently under review, and your trine brothers are currently in the brig. Once you are well enough, you will be escorted to the brig as well. Any questions?"

"Uh..." Skywarp was sure he had a million questions about this situation, but he couldn't make his processor focus enough to articulate one. Finally after a pregnant pause he asked the only thing he could think of... "Can I have an energon goodie?"

Ratchet facepalmed and walked away grumbling under his breath. Skywarp took that as a _no_ and decided staring up at the ceiling was currently the best use of his time.

Ratchet looked back at his patient; feeling conflicted. On the one hand he, like Optimus, believed that all sentient beings were capable of positive change. On the other hand these _sentient beings_ happened to be Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp. Starscream was a whiny self-serving homicidal narcissist, Thundercracker was an unbreakable pillar of a mech that had been with the Decepticons since the beginning, and Skywarp was a flying Sideswipe! That last one caused Ratchet to shudder. The last thing this place needed was _another_ Sideswipe.

* * *

Starscream and Thundercracker sat in their cell without speaking to each other or the Autobot assigned to guard them. It was just some minibot anyway, and neither seeker was fond of minibots. Making the entire experience worse was that the floor was covered in about five inches of water for some reason. Even the Nemesis didn't leak this badly!

Thundercracker was getting hungry, but he didn't say anything. At this point they were lucky to be alive, and Thundercracker didn't want to push his luck by demanding energon. He knew the Autobots would probably put them on trial, and they might even execute them. Starscream was especially likely to get the death penalty, but then again he was also most likely to get released. After all, Starscream had dirt on every Decepticon in their ranks. He could be quite useful to Prime.

Starscream sat on the only cot in their cell and tapped his digits on the metal of the berth beneath him. _Tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap tap tap. ... Tap._ It was starting to get under Thundercracker's plating, but Starscream didn't seem to notice his wingmate's annoyance.

After a couple hours the door opened to admit Fireflight, who relieved the guard of duty and sat down at his post. He looked at the prisoners with an almost expectant expression, and Thundercracker couldn't help but notice how young the large jet's blue optics looked when he stared at them like that.

"You have a problem, _Autobot_?" Starscream snapped derisively.

"I thought you were here because you want to be Autobots, too," Fireflight pointed out, "Anyway, I just never thought I'd see you this close outside of battle. You guys look really cool."

"We do?" Thundercracker asked skeptically.

"Oh, sure," Fireflight nodded and smiled; something that seemed so genuine that the two seekers didn't know how to react, "I always thought it was a shame we had to be enemies, because your flying style is really neat. Then again, you did betray us and trick us into nearly not existing anymore, so I can't help but wonder if you really mean it when you say you wanna be Autobots now."

"If you want the truth, we don't want to be Autobots," Starscream groused, and Thundercracker groaned as he rubbed his helm, "We don't _want_ to be Autobots, we _have_ to be. The Decepticons betrayed us and left us for scrap. If we want to survive then we have to adapt to new circumstances. Actually youngling, you could be of great help to us in learning how to be the best Autobots we can be."

"Really?" Fireflight asked excitedly, loving the fact that someone wanted his help, "What can I do?"

"Just answer a few questions about the Autobots," Starscream replied with a smirk that Thundercracker always described as 'scheming', "First of all, what assignment do you think the Prime will give us?"

"Um, gee, I don't know Starscream," Fireflight replied innocently, "I'm not even sure if Optimus Prime will let you stay. I mean, I think he will. Then again I don't know. You guys have done some pretty bad things."

"You call your sire _Optimus Prime_?" Thundercracker inquired, "You don't know much about the family unit, do you kid?"

"Is it that bad?" Firefight asked, "Well then, what should I call him?"

"Sire," Thundercracker replied with a roll of his optics, "Obviously."

"Anyway, my next question is this," Starscream interjected, "How short is Prime's temper, and is there a particular crew member he takes it out on or does he just beat whoever the offender was?"

"Um...excuse me?" Fireflight squeaked, not sure how to answer such a baffling and disturbing question, "Optimus, uh, I mean, _Sire_ doesn't beat us. That would be wrong. He values us all as members of his team. Well, I think Blaster annoys him sometimes with his loud music, but he still doesn't beat him. That would make him just like Megatr- oh..."

Then Fireflight realized why Starscream had asked that question. Megatron was the type of leader to beat his subordinates, and if Fireflight remembered correctly then Starscream was the most frequent target of his rage. No wonder Starscream was so worried. He not only had a potential trial to worry about, but he likely also feared becoming Optimus Prime's new whipping boy if asylum was granted.

Starscream saw how Fireflight's optics reflected pity and concern, and it irritated him. He growled low at the young gestalt jet, trying to will him to run away and not speak to them again. No such luck, however. Fireflight stayed right there and continued to look at him.

"Sire won't beat you," Fireflight assured the seekers, "If you prove yourselves to be sincere Autobots, then you'll always have a place here. I hope they give you a chance, and I also hope _you_ give _us_ a chance."

"They will likely attach so many conditions on our release that we'll never be able to meet all of their requirements," Starscream replied bitterly, "If you want to help though, you can give Prime a message for me."

"I can do that," Fireflight nodded.

"Tell him I will surrender any and all information regarding Shockwave's defenses on Cybertron," Starscream told him in a severe tone of voice, "I know his _precious_ Elita One still fights against that suck-up cyclops, and my intel could tip the fight in her favor. I will tell him everything if he grants us protection. Relay that to him, youngling."

"I will," Fireflight agreed, "Oh, and my name isn't youngling. It's Fireflight."

"Eh, I can rarely tell you Aerialbots apart," Starscream shrugged indifferently.

Fireflight pouted at that last remark, but then ran off to go tell Prime the message that Starscream had given him. Elita One was practically a mother to the Aerialbots, so Fireflight was excited to help Prime give her an advantage.

"He's gone now," Thundercracker stated the obvious after Fireflight left, "Should we try to escape now?"

"Escape to what?" Starscream asked critically, "We're traitors to the Decepticon cause. All we have now is ourselves and each other, and we'll be blown to bits if we turn on the Autobots now. No, you might as well get comfortable. We'll be here a while."


	14. Make or Break

_Author's Notes: This chapter didn't turn out like I expected. I had an outline, but as it turned out this angle was more interesting and will serve future chapters better. I tried to properly mix the comedy with the drama, and I only hope it strikes the right mood for each scene. If you want to leave a review, I would appreciate it. My job has been stressing me out lately and I love hearing from you all :)_

 _Warning: Minor character death._

* * *

Chapter 14

Make or Break

Optimus ordered Starscream to be brought to an interrogation room near the brig so he could question the seeker without Thundercracker's input. He would probably question Thundercracker at a later time, but if what Fireflight had told him was true then Starscream might be willing to share crucial details about Shockwave's defense systems with him. For the sake of every Autobot left on Cybertron he couldn't afford to dismiss this opportunity, even if Starscream might be lying.

When Optimus entered the room he saw that Prowl and Ironhide stood on either side of the unpredictable seeker. The former Decepticon was sitting at a table, and his wrists were restrained to said table to prevent him from attacking the Autobots or reaching into his subspace. Optimus sat down across from Starscream and folded his servos together in a calm and collected manner.

"Is this how you treat all of your refugees, or am I just lucky?" Starscream asked sarcastically as he glared at Prime.

"It is merely a precaution, Starscream," Optimus replied apologetically, "Once your information has proven reliable you and your trine will be given more freedom. Now, where do you want to begin?"

"I assumed _you_ would know what you wanted, since you are such a _wise_ and _all-knowing_ Prime," Starscream replied bitingly.

"Now you watch yer mouth, ya good for nothin' punk!" Ironhide snapped at Starscream, "Prime, why haven't we slagged this guy yet? He's one of the worst 'Cons to ever exist, and he don't deserve our help!"

"Calm down, Ironhide," Prowl admonished the fired-up weapons specialist, "Starscream is currently listed as under Autobot protection. It would be hypocritical of us to complain about the Decepticons' casual disregard for life and then show the same level of disregard when it's convenient for us."

"Agreed," Optimus nodded sagely, "Now Starscream, you told Fireflight that you have information regarding Shockwave's defenses, weapons, and security systems on Cybertron. Why don't we start there?"

"By all means, Prime," Starscream replied with a smile that more resembled a sneer, "First of all, the password to deactivate all of his non-sentient drones is Megatronus Prime."

"You're kidding," Prowl remarked dryly.

"Nope. Shockwave really wanted Megatron to have that matrix of leadership," Starscream replied airily; as if the very thought was the funniest thing ever, "Also, the next spot viable for a ground bridge will occur in 18 earth hours, so that's when the Decepticons will have to move the old site to set up a new one. You could infiltrate the Nemesis then, or if you want to ambush them for use of the bridge the location will be at the following coordinates."

Starscream then sent the coordinates to Prime's comm signal, and Optimus wondered how Starscream managed to get his comm codes in the first place. His discomfort had to be set aside however as he read the coordinates for the new space bridge. It was going to be in Northern Quebec.

"Maybe you'll get lucky and Motormaster will forget to set up the new space bridge," Starscream added amusedly, "Whatever you decide to do though, at least you'll be well informed. Now, about getting me and my brother out of the brig..."

"Yes, I have spoken with my senior staff about that," Optimus replied, and Ironhide snorted derisively; indicating he likely didn't get his way, "You and Thundercracker will be released from the brig tomorrow and will be given a room near our air hangar so that it will be easy to come and go once you are cleared for it. For the first few days you will be assigned an escort to ensure the safety of everyone involved. If anyone harasses or attempts to attack you I will personally handle the situation. This process will be a rough transition I admit, but I assure you that I will do everything possible to help you integrate into the Autobot ranks if you are sincere about joining us."

"Really?" Starscream asked snidely, though it was only to hide his genuine surprise, "We are your enemies, and have been for millions of years, yet you would accept us just like that?"

"I suspect that the reason you remained for so long with the Decepticons was fear of Megatron," Optimus posited, "Now that he can no longer intimidate you, you and your brothers have a chance at a fresh start. I don't claim to understand all of your motivations, but the unification of all Cybertronians has always been my aim. As long as you follow the rules and do your part, you are welcome here."

Starscream couldn't believe his luck. Could the Prime, the wise and powerful leader of all Autobots, really be that naive? He knew Megatron often called Optimus Prime a soft-sparked fool, but to actually see it in action was surreal. Starscream expected the Prime to crucify him, beat him to a pulp, and then hang him up by his ankle joints for the other Autobots to whack around like a piñata. To be excused and truly be given a second chance was overwhelming, but Starscream knew there had to be a catch. If it was one thing life had taught him, it was that nothing in life was free.

* * *

Skywarp had been in the Autobot medbay for a few joors, and he was certain that if he was forced to be a prisoner aboard the Ark that he would do everything in his power to never get sick or injured again. Ratchet wasn't as much fun to mess with as Hook, and so far he had received no energon and no TV. It was torture.

"Hey, Ratchet!" Skywarp called out for the 50th time in an hour, "Ratchet! My wing itches! Can I get out of these restraints now?"

"No," Ratchet replied curtly, "When I let you out before you tried to strangle me."

"Then will you scratch my wing?" Skywarp asked, "It itches!"

Ratchet just huffed to himself and went on with his business, which really peeved off Skywarp. He just wanted some attention, and Ratchet wouldn't give him the time of day. Skywarp didn't know why Ratchet had the right to act put-upon by Skywarp's presence there. It wasn't like he agreed to come to the Ark, after all. That was all Starscream's doing.

Skywarp looked up at the ceiling again, but it wasn't that interesting. The orange metal was shiny, but not shiny enough to see yourself in. Skywarp also felt hot. He got so used to the cold ocean floor that normal surface temperatures felt suffocating to him.

As the purple seeker tried to occupy his processor he suddenly heard the doors to the medbay open, and turned to see who it was. It was the terror twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, and now Skywarp felt even more anxious than before. These guys would probably tear his wings clean off now that he was restrained and helpless to stop them.

"What do you two fraggers want?" Ratchet asked the twins irritably.

"See Sunny, I told you," Sideswipe commented; ignoring Ratchet, "The officers let the Scream Team in. Look at him. That Decepti-turkey looks like he's about to get a lethal injection like in that cop show."

"Lethal injection!?" Skywarp asked in alarm, "You mean death _and_ needles? You guys are monsters!"

"Technically it's a human punishment," Sunstreaker corrected him, "So don't blame us."

"Hey, maybe he'll get the chair," Sideswipe snickered.

"Well, a chair would be more comfy than this berth," Skywarp mused.

"No, dummy. The _electric_ chair," Sunstreaker informed him, "It's another way humans execute their criminals. They strap you to a chair and send so much electricity into your systems that you literally explode."

"Eww," Skywarp replied in disgust, "I never realized humans were such sick freaks. Maybe if Megatron knew that we would've worked with a few more of them."

"So ugly, where're your bros?" Sideswipe asked Skywarp.

"I dunno," Skywarp replied, though he couldn't shrug due to the restraints, "I woke up here and haven't seen them yet. Not that you slaggers need to know anyway."

Sideswipe snickered, which only made Skywarp madder. He struggled to get out of his restraints, which only served to prove he couldn't. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe then shared a menacing glance, and Skywarp's optics went wide in panic as he realized they were planning something. Something that probably involved him.

Their optics darkened, indicating they were talking to each other over a comm frequency or possibly their twin bond. Skywarp wished they would at least talk out loud, then maybe he could figure out how to make them leave him alone. Oh, who was he kidding? Skywarp's plans usually involved teleporting, and his processor always felt a little fuzzier after each experience. He just wasn't the planning type, needless to say.

"Oh, Ratchet!" Sideswipe called out to the medic, "Could you take a look at my arm? I think I dislocated it in a fight."

"Again?" Ratchet huffed, "Fine. Get on the berth, but if you've torn out any of my recent repairs so help me..."

Ratchet's voice faded into the back of the room as Sideswipe walked away with him, but then Skywarp realized that Sunstreaker was still there, and he was still smiling down at him evilly. Wait, what was that in his hand?

"Is that a paint can?" Skywarp asked nervously.

"Yeah, it's a paint can," Sunstreaker replied with deadly calm, "And if you don't want me to rip your wings off and shove them into your neck cables, you'll hold still and keep silent."

Skywarp whimpered, knowing the the golden terror twin meant his threat. These Autobots were not the soft sparks Optimus usually employed. Oh no, these guys were the ones that did the slagging Prime's dirty work for him. They were so cruel and creative that they were practically Decepticons, which only made Skywarp even more terrified that he couldn't teleport or get free from his bonds.

Sunstreaker started by using black paint on Skywarp's optics so he couldn't see. Skywarp almost screamed, but the only one within range was Ratchet, who Skywarp believed would sooner assist the twins than the seeker. With that thought in processor he kept his vocalizer muted and hoped Sunstreaker would be satisfied with whatever graffiti he planned to paint on the seeker.

The process took two breems (ten minutes) to complete, but to Skywarp it felt like an eternity as the cold slimy brush stroked across his sensitive wings over and over again. For some reason grounders were obsessed with vandalizing a seeker's wings, and Skywarp suspected it was a secret jealousy they all harbored against his agile and graceful race.

After Sunstreaker was finished painting Skywarp heard the faintest _click_ noise, and he suspected that was the lambo twin taking a photo of his defaced frame. He was angry at Sunstreaker for what he had just done, yet a stronger emotion suddenly took over his mind in that moment...curiosity.

"What do I look like?" Skywarp whispered to Sunstreaker.

"Excuse me, 'Con?" Sunstreaker snorted derisively.

"Come on, I wanna see!" Skywarp insisted, "I'll tell you my comm frequency and you can send me the pic. The suspense is killing me!"

"Are you sure it's the suspense? Because it sounds to me like you have rust in your processor," Sunstreaker scoffed.

"Hey, a real artist would want to show off their work," Skywarp taunted, "Maybe your painting sucks. Maybe you're too cowardly to look your enemy in the optics when you attack them. Makes sense. I mean, your jet judo does involve always attacking from our backs or latching onto our alt modes. You could never look me in the optic as you hurt me because you're a-"

"Don't you dare say it," Sunstreaker ground out through his clenched denta.

"A _soft spark_ ," Skywarp whispered ominously.

Skywarp could hear Sunstreaker snap something, probably his paint brush, and then he heard a feral scream coming from the psychotic frontliner before he started pulling away Skywarp's cockpit glass! Skywarp screamed more from fear than pain as he was sure the yellow twin would rip him to shreds.

"What the frag? _Sunstreaker_!" A voice, Ratchet's, shrieked amid the pain and chaos.

Skywarp struggled to get away, but he was still trapped on the berth. The pain was still there, but he didn't feel the attack anymore and he could hear Ratchet and Sideswipe yelling at Sunstreaker to stop. The voices grew fainter and then the door opened and closed. There was a sigh in the room after that, indicating that at least one mech was still there.

"Alright, Skywarp," That was Ratchet, "What did you do to frag off Sunstreaker?"

"I was honest," Skywarp spat in contempt, "Look, I know you Autobots hate us, so just give me the chair and get it over with."

"The chair?" Ratchet asked in confusion, "What does your fight with Sunstreaker have to do with chairs?"

A ghost of a smile came across Skywarp's face at knowing something the medic didn't know.

"It's nothing important," Skywarp replied, in a slightly better mood, "Listen, you don't have to repair this. I can go to the brig as-is."

"Like frag you are," Ratchet snapped, "Now I have to reattach your fragging cockpit and your slagging left chest plate. Not to mention cleaning off that paint. I'll give you something for the pain, alright?"

"Is it going to kill me?" Skywarp asked warily.

"No," Ratchet replied longsufferingly.

"Are you going to violate me?" Skywarp asked timidly.

"Ew, no!" Ratchet snapped in disgust.

"Well you don't have to be so mean about it," Skywarp pouted, "There are lots of 'Bots and 'Cons that think I'm a great catch!"

"Just be quiet so I can work," Ratchet grumbled.

With those words Ratchet pumped Skywarp's systems full of pain killers that allowed the purple seeker to fall into a peaceful recharge. Ratchet shook his helm at insufferable younglings, mouthy Decepticons, and the whole fragging war in general. He was even in too sour a mood to laugh at the graffiti on Skywarp's wings.

* * *

Elita and the rest of the femme brigade had worked on this ship for only a few deca-orns, and they feared it wouldn't be flight worthy yet. Still, they needed this ship in order to get off the planet. It was so small, but it would fit the few of them that were left.

The femmes never would have guessed that one action would cause both their greatest victory and their greatest fears to come true. Alpha Trion giving his spark to Vector Sigma had been a boon for the Autobots since it meant no Decepticon could ever use the life giving orb to create their own warriors ever again. Unfortunately the Decepticons learning of this led to...other consequences.

Shockwave had been ordered hundreds of thousands of vorns ago to extinguish the spark of every Autobot femme on the planet. Ever since then they had hidden, fought, and struggled for their own survival. They had seen many comrades fall, and every life lost was another scar on the sparks that remained.

Lately though, it had become obvious that Shockwave's tactics were changing.

It had all started with an energon raid that had gone wrong. Four femmes had been sent to find fuel for their waning group, and the closest place to find it was Darkmount; the fortress where Shockwave himself resided. Firestar, Moonracer, Chromia, and Darkstar had gone on the mission, but only two of them would come back.

When Moonracer accidentally tripped an alarm (again) the femmes had to run and shoot their way out of the building. The drones surrounded them, and the femmes fought them off admirably. There were just too many though, and soon the trapped Autobots ran out of ammo.

What happened next though was unexpected. The drones, rather than finish the job, parted to make way for their master; Shockwave. The femmes were battered, leaking energon, and glaring at the cyclops with every fraction of hate in their bodies.

Shockwave held his cannon arm level with Darkstar's helm, and they were all sure that he was going to terminate her. Chromia, in a final act of defiance, spat at the 'Con, but he didn't even look down at where her spat energon had hit his chassis. He knew he had them, and they knew it too.

"Drones, take the femmes to separate holding facilities in the building," Shockwave commanded his minions, "Take that one to laboratory 4," He pointed to Darkstar as he spoke.

The Autobots all struggled against their captors, but they were too weak to resist. It struck Chromia as they were being led away that Shockwave didn't execute them. Then again it was Shockwave. He probably wanted to experiment on them first.

She had no idea how close she was to the truth.

Elita sighed as she recalled the rescue mission that followed. She had managed to get Chromia and Firestar back safely, but Moonracer had died of her wounds while in custody. As it turned out Moonracer had been the lucky one, compared to how they found Darkstar.

During the escape Ultra Magnus and a few members of his team arrived to aid Elita One in her search for her friends. She had found Firestar and Moonracer in seperate cells, though Moonracer was close to death from her wounds. Ultra Magnus and Blurr meanwhile had found Chromia on the opposite side of the building, so that only left Darkstar to locate.

Chromia managed to remember that Darkstar was in lab 4, so the reinforcements went there to retrieve her. Elita didn't see what they found herself, but Chromia did, and it had been worse than any of them could have imagined.

Darkstar's body had been mostly stripped of anything nonessential, exposing every internal component from her spark chamber to her fuel tanks. Her face plate was in agony even as she remained in stasis lock. Her spark was attached to a device that looked like an artificial interface cable, and there were several large incubation tubes around the lab that housed half-formed mechs.

"Holy pit..." Chromia had whispered as she took in the sight, "He's using her spark to breed new Decepticons."

"IsThereAnythingLeftOfHer?" Blurr asked worriedly, "IsShe...YouKnow?"

None of the team had any medical experience, but it was clear that she would never recover without extensive treatment. Treatment they couldn't give her with no decent medics left on the planet.

"WhatDoWeDo?" Blurr asked apprehensively.

"We cannot allow Shockwave to continue to use her like this," Ultra Magnus said gravely, "Darkstar would be horrified to learn she was being used as a breeder for Megatron's unholy pit spawn."

"I'm pretty sure she already knew," Chromia commented, "I mean, there's no way she wasn't awake for at least part of this."

/Team Two, this is Team One,/ Elita One said over the comm, /We're out of the building, but Shockwave is on our tail. Have you found Chromia and Darkstar?/

/Yes, we're on our way,/ Ultra Magnus replied without elaboration.

The comm shut off, and Ultra Magnus looked down at Darkstar's mangled and abused frame with pity and regret. He knew what they had to do, but he hated doing this to such a loyal Autobot.

Chromia saw his hesitance and knew they didn't have time to lose before Shockwave caught up to the others, so she pulled out her blaster and shot Darkstar's spark; watching as it shattered into a million glowing pink fragments and disappeared into the ether.

"Let's go," Chromia rasped painfully to the others before turning away so as to not look upon her fallen friend anymore.

Elita remembered very clearly the looks on the faces of the team as she asked where Darkstar was. Chromia tried to keep her features neutral, but the anger and pain shone through despite her best efforts. Ultra Magnus said very little, but Blurr had told Elita exactly what had happened to Darkstar. It had been a fate worse than death, and apparently Shockwave had no intention of stopping.

Moonracer had only awoken once before she died. She had apologized for causing so much trouble and for screwing up their mission so badly. Of course no one blamed her, and Elita told her that these things happen sometimes. Moonracer's faceplate smiled up at Elita's before her features went slack and her spark gave out.

Two more sparks lost, and now it seemed Shockwave wasn't satisfied with merely killing the Autobot femmes anymore. To Elita this was worse than murder, worse than rape. He was using the life essence of her friends, their very souls, to create more soldiers that would be used to commit genocide against the Autobots. He truly was a monster, and now not even battle would be enough to stop him.

Elita looked up at the ship one more time, and hoped against all hope that they would escape in time. The femmes would flee to earth. It wasn't safe there, but at least there would be more Autobots to fight alongside the femme brigade, and finally Elita would be with her bondmate and new sons.

* * *

The brig was starting to get a little crowded. Starscream and Thundercracker were still in their cell, and now in the cell next to theirs they were joined by Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. If this day could get any worse the seekers didn't see how.

"I can't believe they locked me up too!" Sideswipe complained, "You're the one that actually did it!"

"It was your idea, skid plate!" Sunstreaker argued, "Besides, if you and Hatchet hadn't stopped me we'd have one less Decepticon to deal with."

"Wait, did you fragheads attack Skywarp!?" Thundercracker boomed from the next cell.

"Yeah, I did, and he screamed like a little glitch," Sunstreaker taunted him, "I can't believe you three are the best the Decepticons have to offer. How have we not won this war by now?"

"Don't try my patience, _Autobot_ ," Thundercracker growled, "I will eventually get out, and when I do-"

"Thundercracker," Starscream stopped him from finishing, "You shouldn't threaten the sparklings. It's the Prime's job to punish them for their little tantrums."

"Why you!" Sunstreaker shouted before trying to ram himself against the wall to get to the snarky seeker, "Say that to my face plate, 'Con!"

"Oh, so now you're threatening us?" Starscream asked with mock innocence, "But we're only here for asylum. Are you telling me that Autobots bully innocent mechs seeking a better life?"

"There's nothing innocent about you, slagger!" Sunstreaker roared before once again ramming himself into the wall, "Ow..."

"Bad idea, Sunny," Sideswipe said from his spot on the cell's berth, "I think you dislocated that shoulder strut again. Ratchet's not gonna be too happy."

"Whose side are you on?!" Sunstreaker shouted at his twin.

The mech guarding this group of rowdy prisoners, Huffer, was getting a processor ache from all the yelling. He decided to take a 5 minute break and get some warm energon before dealing with these pinheads anymore.

Sunstreaker had stopped trying to get to the seekers, but he still exchanged insults with both Starscream and Thundercracker. Thundercracker was angry that anyone would harm his brother the way Sunstreaker did, but Starscream was having too much fun riling up the short-tempered Autobot.

The arguing continued until they noticed a flash of purple on the other side of the room and a familiar purple and black seeker with new welds on his chassis and wings.

"Skywarp!" Thundercracker called out joyously.

"What are you doing here, scrap heap?!" Starscream cursed at him, "You're going to get in trouble!"

"It's okay, Hatchet went out to get himself some high grade. I got a breem," Skywarp replied cheekily, "I'm glad you guys are alright."

"I'm just glad they actually repaired you," Thundercracker sighed in relief, "I thought they'd scrap you for parts."

"Yeah, well, they didn't," Skywarp replied awkwardly as he scratched his helm, "I'll be right back, guys. I actually came here for something else."

Skywarp then left his confused trine brothers to go talk to the lambo twins, which confused everyone involved.

"What do you want, _Decepticon_?" Sunstreaker asked venomously.

"I wanna talk to Sideswipe," Skywapr replied, and Sunstreaker looked affronted, "Listen, your brother gave you the photo of what he did to me before Ratchet fixed it, right?"

"Um, yeah, but just the graffiti part," Sideswipe replied, his face somewhere between smirking and confusion, "If it were me though, you wouldn't have even seen it coming until you woke up from recharge and everyone had a good laugh at you."

Sunstreaker snorted and crossed his arms like a diva, and Skywarp couldn't help but grin at the somewhat dysfunctional dynamic. Sunstreaker kind of reminded him of Screamer.

"I just wanted to see it," Skywarp told them, and Sideswipe now looked genuinely puzzled, "I'll give you my comm code, and then you show me the pic."

"What are you planning, 'Con?" Sideswipe asked suspiciously, "You gonna hack into my comms and learn our secrets?"

"Hah! There are two things wrong with that!" Starscream interjected, "One, Skywarp is an idiot and couldn't hack to save his life. Two, _you're_ an idiot and have no information of value."

Sideswipe fumed over that, but Skywarp gave him no time to dwell on it.

"Oh, come on! It's my body you vandalized and therefore I have a right to see it!" Skywarp stomped on the ground like a child having a hissy fit, "Why won't you show me!?"

Sideswipe couldn't help but snort with laughter at how animated Skywarp looked when he was angry. It really did remind him of a giant sparkling, or maybe Sunny when he got a scratch on his paint. Sideswipe hated the 'Cons as much as the next 'Bot, and he definitely didn't like seekers, but that was overridden by his desire to show off what he and his twin had done.

"Fine, I'll show you," Sideswipe replied casually, and Skywarp stopped screaming mid-tirade, "But you're not gonna like it." He said this part in a sing-song voice.

"Whatever, mech. Here's my comm signal," Skywarp replied as he handed a data packet to Sideswipe that had his comm number on it, "Now let me see!"

"Oookaay," Sideswipe drew out the words as he pinged Skywarp.

Skywarp opened the file and saw a photo of himself with the black painted optics and elaborate graffiti on his wings. The left wing had a bunch of pink lines drawn on it that looked like illusionist art where one couldn't find the beginning or end of the shape. That same wing also had a pink Autobot logo painted on it, but the sigil was making a kissy face. The right wing had paintings of interface cables going into an interface port, Skywarp's helm purging, Skywarp getting run over by a car that looked like Sideswipe, and another kissy face Autobot sigil. His faceplate also had a black mustache and a goatee.

"Wow..." Skywarp said blandly as he looked over Sunstreaker's handiwork, "You _are_ a good artist."

"Seriously? You like it?" Sideswipe asked skeptically.

"Oh no, I hate it," Skywarp clarified, "I mean, really hate it! I would hurt you if I could. That being said, the actual technique is pretty professional looking. I mean, you could've just drawn some crude doodles on me and got the same result, but you really went the extra mechano-mile. To be honest if I was gonna prank you I would've just teleported into your berth room while you were both recharging and dumped a can of paint on you. Much simpler that way."

"Yeah, teleporting must be so cool for pranks," Sideswipe replied wistfully, "If I had your abilities, I'd get out of so many medical check-ups and training exercises. Not to mention I could just randomly pop up and scare Prowl whenever I wanted."

"I do that to Screamer all the time," Skywarp commented.

"Don't call me Screamer!" Starscream shouted irritably.

Skywarp laughed at his brother's anger, but surprisingly he realized that Sideswipe was laughing too. Sunstreaker was leaning against a wall ignoring them, but that was okay by Skywarp. After all, he was the vandal that needed to pay. Sideswipe on the other servo didn't seem as bad as originally expected. In fact for a grounder he almost seemed...okay.

"What the-?" Huffer exclaimed when he entered the room.

"Gotta go!" Skywarp shouted and then disappeared in a flash of purple.

"Ahh! I gotta call Ratchet!" Huffer exclaimed in panic.

As the minibot comm'ed the medic about Skywarp's escape, Thundercracker and Starscream couldn't help but share a smirk.

/Looks like we're getting a new roommate,/ Starscream remarked cheekily.

/Yeah, guess now you can pay him back for calling you Screamer,/ Thundercracker replied, suppressing a snicker over the bond.

/Ahh! Guys!/ Skywarp joined their bond conversation, /He's throwing wrenches at me! These Autobots are crazy!/


	15. Move In, Move Out

Chapter 15

Move In, Move Out

The air hangar in the Ark was a place for the jets and planes to hang out and socialize. It was connected to several rooms used for private quarters for the fliers, and therefore served as a nice relaxing common room as well as a landing strip for those coming back from a mission or night on the town.

The hangar was usually home to the Aerialbots, Powerglide, Skyfire, and occasionally Cosmos and Omega Supreme. Slingshot and Skydive had tried to convince Blades to stay there as well, but as a Protectobot he usually wasn't even in the Ark. That meant the Aerialbots brothers were usually left to hang out with just each other.

"Hey, no fair!" Air Raid shouted as he tugged on a game controller and frantically pushed buttons, "You saw that, right Silverbolt? Slingshot totally cheated!"

"There is no cheating in Grand Turismo," Slingshot smirked, "It's all about skill, and I've got skill."

"Yeah, well you're about to get my car up your tailpipe, you jerk," Air Raid growled.

Silverbolt sighed lightly and went back to the data pad he was reading while his brothers hurled insults at each other and looped around the virtual race track. Silverbolt actually thought it was funny, since _he_ had bought the game and his brothers had criticized him for buying a game starring cars instead of planes. Now they were on it all the time and he couldn't even get a turn anymore.

Silverbolt checked on Fireflight and Skydive just to make sure everyone was doing alright with the downtime they had been given. He knew his fellow jets tended to get restless when they weren't flying. Fireflight was watching cartoons on their Transformer-sized TV set, and Skydive was nowhere in sight.

"Hey Fireflight, where did Skydive go?" Silverbolt asked.

"Wash racks," Fireflight replied numbly as he kept his optics on the screen.

Silverbolt nodded, knowing his brother wasn't watching him and not really caring. Everyone had been on edge since the former Decepticon seekers had joined them on a trial basis, and Silverbolt was just trying his best to relax and forget about the ticking time bomb in their midst. Silverbolt hated to admit it to himself, but he was nervous. After donating part of his spark to Starscream and then being betrayed by the conniving seeker, Silverbolt couldn't help but be scared of Megatron's former SIC. He just hoped no one else noticed his unease.

The door that led to the hallway opened, and Silverbolt almost jumped until he saw it was just Prowl. Silverbolt stood up immediately since Prowl would usually talk to him regarding Aerialbots matters, but Prowl walked past the common area and toward the doors where the private quarters were.

"Is everything alright, Prowl?" Silverbolt asked, wondering what was going on.

"I am here to clean out any junk from the unused guest quarters and mark them as assigned," Prowl replied, "There are only two rooms available, but I believe the space will be sufficient for the moment."

"Space? For what?" Silverbolt asked; his gut telling him something was wrong.

"For Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp," Prowl replied as if he hadn't just given Silverbolt the worst news ever, "They are leaving the brig later today, and Optimus ordered me to assign them guest quarters in the air hangar."

"You're kidding, right?" Silverbolt asked before he could stop himself, "With all due respect Prowl, this is a terrible idea. The seekers will just try to get away and go back to the Decepticons with any information they might have."

"Our intelligence suggests that would be nearly impossible," Prowl replied stoically, "Motormaster has insulated the Decepticons from the outside world for the time being, and has also made it clear that he wants Starscream's head on a pike, so to speak. Whether the seekers like it or not, the Autobots are the only faction left willing to deal with them. I for one see this as a great opportunity."

"An opportunity for what? For us to get our sparks ripped out?" Silverbolt asked heatedly.

"No, an opportunity for us to gain insider knowledge of how the Decepticon hierarchy functions," Prowl replied, "Starscream, as unpopular as he is, has historically been one of the most influential Decepticons in Megatron's ranks. His trine has also been among two of the most skilled and powerful members of the Decepticons. With them on our side we not only have three new warriors, but also an encyclopedic insight into the psyche of our enemies' tactics and motivations. We would be fools to pass up such an offer."

"Well I think we're fools for taking it," Silverbolt countered, "Look, I'm not saying that there's no way they could be redeemed, but this is all too much too fast. They belong in the brig. Frankly they belong in the strongest prison we can find."

"I'm sorry this is an inconvenience to you, but the decision has already been made," Prowl replied unflinchingly, "The seekers are moving into guest quarters 52 and 54. If you would like to help me clean I would appreciate it."

Silverbolt deflated at those words, but nodded nonetheless. He didn't like the idea of Starscream being so close to him and his brothers, but he understood the reasoning. At least being able to see the sky might keep the trine from going mad with sky sickness. Silverbolt just hoped that was enough to keep them docile.

* * *

Optimus Prime was in his quarters after a rough day of work. He had filled out paperwork regarding the new additions to the Autobot crew manifest, had looked over several scientific experiments and architectural projects to make sure they were up to code, had spoken with the ambassadors of several earth countries, and had managed to find some time to play basketball with some of the younger troops and their human friends. In short, Prime was exhausted.

He found himself looking over some mementos of his time on earth. There were children's drawings of him and the other Autobots from schools around the world, there was one of those oversized novelty keys to the city (which looked like a normal key in an Autobot's servo), and there was a photo from the first official Autobot Day. Earth was a wonderful place to live, even if the circumstances for being there were grim. Optimus appreciated the willing spirit and energy of the humans.

As he looked over his trinkets however he noticed something else. It was a framed holo-image of himself as Orion Pax and his then girlfriend Ariel. They were at the beach in Kalis playing in the oil ocean. Orion was splashing Ariel and laughing at her peeved expression. Optimus almost couldn't believe that young carefree mech was the person he used to be. The war had taken a lot from Cybertron, so much that Optimus often forgot what it had taken from him personally. On this day however he couldn't help but think about the lives that he and Elita had lost when Megatron darkened their world.

 _She had been carrying when we took that vacation..._ Optimus thought sadly. _I never even got to see our son. I don't know how Elita managed to keep going after such a loss. She is such a strong femme. Elita, I miss you so..._

The melancholy Prime's thoughts were interrupted when he received a comm from Cliffjumper.

/Hey Prime, there's a message coming through on Teletraan One from deep space,/ Cliffjumper informed the Prime, /They're asking for you./

/I'm on my way,/ Optimus replied with authority, all signs of his lamenting thoughts gone in an instant.

Optimus made it to Teletraan One, and he couldn't help but notice the way Cliffjumper was smirking. He wasn't sure he liked that knowing smile on one of his warriors. It reminded him too much of the twins.

"Do you know who is trying to contact us?" Optimus asked.

"Yes sir," Cliffjumper nodded, "I, uh...I gotta go now. I got...business to attend to."

With that Cliffjumper left without further explanation, leaving the Prime confused and a little annoyed. After such a long day he wished one of his crew could have taken the transmission instead. Nonetheless he was still the Prime, and he needed to project an aura of confidence and patience. With this thought in mind he sat down and announced his presence.

"Optimus," A familiar sultry voice answered him, and Prime felt his intakes hitch.

"Elita..." Optimus replied longingly, "Is something wrong? Has Shockwave discovered your location?"

"No Optimus, and it won't matter if he does," Elita replied, "My troops and I are on our way to earth. It is no longer safe to remain on Cybertron, so we are coming to help you fight Megatron on the front lines."

"Things have changed since we last spoke, Elita," Optimus informed her, "Megatron is no more. I had to extinguish his spark myself. The current Decepticon leader is named Motormaster. He is the head of the combiner unit known as The Stunticons. As Megatron's own creation, he felt himself entitled to the role of leader."

"The Stunticons are as young as our Aerialbots," Elita noted, "Leading a faction that accounts for over two thirds of our planet's population is a big responsibility. I'm guessing that he isn't up for the challenge."

"I have not had contact with the Decepticons since Motormaster took command," Optimus told her, "We have had other matters to deal with lately."

"Did something bad happen?" Elita asked worriedly.

"I...am not sure," Optimus replied uncertainly, "You see Elita, with Motormaster in charge of the Decepticons there have been some internal disputes among their ranks. This has resulted in Starscream and his trine defecting from the Decepticons and...joining our side."

"Starscream is with you?" Elita asked, trying to sound only mildly interested, "Do you believe his intentions are true?"

"I am not certain," Optimus replied, "His personality has not changed in any significant way, yet I cannot help but hope that without Megatron swaying his opinion that Starscream may yet be redeemable. He has already given us information on Shockwave that I was going to send to you by way of Cosmos, but if you are coming to earth it hardly seems necessary now."

"I'm afraid we'll have to leave fighting Shockwave up to the mechs left on Cybertron," Elita ruefully admitted, "I would battle Shockwave myself if it were only my own safety on the line, but I cannot let that monster capture my fellow femmes. Optimus, Shockwave used Darkstar as nothing more than reproductive material to make more Decepticon troops. Without Vector Sigma the Decepticons are becoming desperate to repopulate their numbers. If there are any femmes left in the Decepticon ranks, then I truly pity them."

Optimus felt his spark constrict in pain when he heard those words. Darkstar had been a close friend to Elita, and had also been one of Grapple's cousins. Optimus would have to break the news to the architect about his relative, and now he understood that Elita wasn't just coming to earth because she missed him; she and her troops were running for their lives.

"Optimus, I trust your judgment regarding the seekers, but please be careful," Elita implored, "I also want to believe Starscream is capable of goodness, but if he tries to harm the other Autobots you must stop him no matter the cost."

"I will, if I have to," Optimus promised her, "However, the three seekers' intentions to join us appear to be genuine. Thundercracker will likely be the easiest to convince, since he already has a sense of honor. Skywarp...well, he fits in well with the twins, but I'm not certain that's a good thing."

Elita laughed at the image of Skywarp hanging out with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. She needed to think of something silly after all the terror and pain they had been through. After a moment however, she remembered something else she needed to tell Optimus.

"Um, Optimus, Darkstar wasn't the only casualty of our last mission," Elita said apprehensively, "I'm afraid Moonracer is also gone. She died of wounds sustained in battle. I'm sorry."

"No," Optimus sighed miserably, "I suppose I should inform Powerglide and Warpath before your ship lands."

"Warpath?" Elita asked, "Did he know Moonracer?"

"He dated her briefly after she broke up with Powerglide," Optimus replied, caught between the sadness of the news and the joviality of the memory, "Apparently they both enjoyed target practice."

"And are both clumsy," Elita added with a wry smile, "I can't believe we'll never see them again. No matter how many times this happens, it never gets easier. Moonracer was never meant for battle. She did what she had to do, and she tried to sound tough doing it, but I know her spark just wanted this war to end. Darkstar took to it better, but to be fair she had a criminal record during the Golden Age. She felt like she had a purpose with us, and she wanted to see a new Golden Age so she could start over with a clean slate. Now she never will."

"I know it hurts," Optimus consoled her, "But I also want you to know that I think you're the strongest femme I've ever known. Don't give up, Elita. You inspire your teammates and give them hope. I know that whatever happens with the Decepticons that you can rise to the occasion."

"Thank you, Optimus. I needed to hear that," Elita replied as she smiled lovingly at him, "I have to go now, but I'll see you soon."

"Farewell, my love," Optimus replied meaningfully, "I look forward to holding you in my arms again."

The transmission cut off, and Elita leaned against the console. There was just so much going on in her processor at once. She had the typical survivor's guilt she felt when a friend died, she had the future of the Autobot cause to worry about, and to top it all off Starscream was aboard the Ark.

 _Starscream_. Elita wanted so much to believe he could change, that there was a good mech underneath all the bravado and hatred. He was her son after all, and as much as that he was Optimus's son. She wanted this to be the miracle their family needed to reunite and be whole again. She knew though, this could all be a trap. If it was, then she didn't want Optimus to be compromised in battle.

He still couldn't know the truth about Starscream. Not yet. Elita would have to wait and see if Starscream was sincere. If he had truly reformed, then she would be able to reveal her secret and embrace her long lost mechling at last.

* * *

The Reflector triplets were pushed roughly through the halls of the Nemesis by Blitzwing and Astrotrain, who had been ordered to bring them to Motormaster. The triplets were tied up and frightened, not sure why they were being arrested by their new leader. They had gone out of their way to keep out of sight every since The Stunticons took power, but apparently that wasn't enough. Now they were in trouble, and they didn't even know why.

/Viewfinder?/ Spectro spoke to their leader over their spark bond, /What should we do when we get to the throne room?/

/What else? Stand at attention, offer our loyalty, and if necessary, beg," Viewfinder replied matter-of-factly.

/Maybe they want us to fight each other for their amusement,/ Spyglass guessed.

/What? That's crazy. We already know every move we're gonna make. We're three split pieces of one mech!/ Spectro protested.

/Calm down. We'll figure something out,/ Viewfinder assured them, /We just have to figure out what our leader wants, and then if possible do it./

Soon they made it to the control room and were roughly pushed inside. The trio landed on their knees before the throne where Motormaster sat. Standing on either side of Motormaster was Wildrider and Breakdown, and when Breakdown saw the Reflectors he screamed a girly scream and ran behind the throne.

"You brought them _here_ , Motormaster?" Breakdown asked fearfully, "What is _wrong_ with you? They're probably planting something even as we speak!"

"The word is _planning_ , frag head," Motormaster corrected his brother, "And if you want me to execute them then you're gonna face 'em when I do it, so stop bein' a sparkling and make your opening accusation!"

" _Execute_?" The Reflector's asked in unison, causing Breakdown to hide behind the chair again, " _But_ _why_?"

"Breakdown?" Motormaster growled and clenched his fist, causing every Decepticon in the room to tense up, "Your statement."

"They're...they're..." Breakdown started nervously, "They're spying on me! They stare at me, record me, and sneak around this ship so nobody notices them! See? Even now they're looking at me!"

The Reflectors immediately bowed their helms to look at the ground instead of the hysterical Stunticon. They knew this was insane. They didn't spy on Breakdown, nor did they care to. Sure they hid, but only because they were smaller than almost everyone on the ship. They just didn't want to get beaten up.

"You heard Breakdown," Motormaster said as he leaned in his chair to glower at the triplets, "You three are spies against the Decepticon monarchy. You got anything to say in your defense before I sic Wildrider on you?"

The Reflectors gulped in unison and trembled before the hulking giants before them.

"We are innocent," Viewfinder spoke alone so that their multiple voices wouldn't freak out Breakdown again, "We do not spy on our fellow Decepticons, and we do not intend to stare at Breakdown. Please, give us one more chance and we'll never so much as look at him again. We are your soldiers, Motormaster. For as long as you lead the Decepticons, we are yours. Please spare us, sir. Please."

"They're lying!" Breakdown wailed accusingly, "They're just trying to get on your good side! Let me kill them, Motormaster. It's the only way to be rid of them and their peering lenses. I need this, Motormaster. Just give the word and I'll tear them apart right now."

Motormaster glanced over his shoulder toward Breakdown, and then turned his optics back toward the cowering Reflectors. Then Motormaster stood up, and the Reflectors instinctively took a few steps back.

"Fine," Motormaster said in a bored tone of voice, "Get 'em, boys."

Breakdown and Wildrider then transformed in unison into their car forms and Reflector, knowing they had no help with their fellow Decepticons, took off running. The Stunticons were much faster than three minicons, but Reflector knew if they could get to an air vent that they could evade the much bigger 'Cons.

They turned a sharp corner and heard the cars drift to catch up with them. They found an open vent they had been using earlier and made a break for it. Before they could all dive inside though, Spyglass was run over by Wildrider!

Viewfinder and Spectro turned around to see Wildrider in robot mode ripping into their brother, and they could feel his pain through their sparks. Breakdown had transformed as well and was heading straight for them. They knew they weren't strong enough to save Spyglass, so they ran for the vent.

As they quickly crawled through the tiny tunnel Breakdown's servo and arm were shoved through. His fingers came close to grabbing Spectro's ankle joint, but he managed to crawl away just in time. They could still feel Spyglass being mauled over the bond, but there was nothing they could do for him.

/I'm sorry, brother,/ Viewfinder said to Spyglass over the bond, /Forgive us./

/I...understand,/ Spyglass weakly replied, /Take...care of...each...other./

With those words in their sparks Viewfinder and Spectro endured their brother's pain and traveled through the vents in an effort to find an escape. They didn't know what they would do once they were out of the Nemesis, but they had to get out fast.

As they passed over the rec room they felt the pain suddenly subside and a noticeable emptiness in their bond. Spyglass was gone.

/How could they do this to us?/ Spectro weeped over the bond, /We didn't do anything. We have been loyal Decepticons for most of our lives./

/I know, but that's over now,/ Viewfinder replied softly, /Motormaster doesn't see our usefulness the way Megatron did. He's going to run the Decepticons into the ground. We have to get out while we still can./

As the Reflectors crawled through the defunct ventilation system they finally came across a room that could help them. It was the room that housed the airlock. Normally the airlock of a ship would prevent the vacuum of space from entering a ship, but on the Nemesis it kept the waters of one of earth's oceans from penetrating. If the Reflectors could open the airlock, then they could walk out of the ship and into the ocean. Then they could swim away from their murderous former comrades.

Viewfinder opened the vent and both of them jumped down, but what they hadn't realized was that there was already someone in the room near the entrance door, and it wasn't just anyone; it was the Stunticon Dead End.

"Hm? Dead End stopped reading his data pad when he heard the Reflectors jump down into the room, "Oh, what are you two doing here?"

"We're...uh...Checking the pressure on that door," Viewfinder lied, "Motormaster's orders."

"Uh huh," Dead End replied flatly, unconvinced, "I heard you were ordered to die. Oh, but would I receive such an order."

"Please don't kill us," Spectro begged, no longer trying to keep up the facade of legitimacy, "They already got Spyglass. We won't bother anyone again. Please just let us go, sir. We're innocent!"

"Why would you prefer survival?" Dead End asked curiously, "If you get away, then you'll just suffer alone and probably starve. If I kill you now then it's over quickly and cleanly. There's nothing for you out there. If you want, I can terminate you in such a way so as to leave your bodies completely intact. That way you'll look good for the memorial service."

Spectro started crying then and hugged Viewfinder, who was barely keeping it together himself. If only they hadn't been disarmed by the triple changers, then perhaps they could have stood a chance against Dead End.

"So," Dead End sighed deeply before he said, "You really want to survive that badly? Well, I think you're both insane. However, I of all mechs know how to accommodate insanity."

Dead End then put down his data pad and walked over to the airlock door. He pushed a few buttons and the chamber opened for them.

"Step inside and I'll depressurize it from this end," Dead End instructed, "You'll probably get all rusted from the salt water and then be unable to get to dry land, but it's your funeral, so to speak."

"You're...you're really letting us go?" Spectro asked hopefully, "Why?"

"Why not? The sooner you leave the sooner I can get back to my book," Dead End replied dryly, "Besides, I'm a prince now. Who's going to go against me?"

The Reflectors wasted no more time questioning their good luck. Part of them still feared Dead End was going to trick them and kill them anyway, but they had nothing left to lose by obeying him.

Dead End waited for them to get inside, and then closed the door behind them. The airlock then opened, and the Reflectors were swept away into the wide blue ocean. They were free, and only hoped they could find a decent place to live away from the Decepticons that wanted them dead so badly.

With the Reflectors gone, Dead End went back to the data pad he was reading; a Cybertronian translated version of "To Kill a Mockingbird". He didn't understand everything in it, but for some reason he really liked the idea of a principled family that got along and fought a corrupt system. It was so unlike his real life.

"Now, where was I...?" Dead End muttered as he returned to the story, "Ah, yes. Here."

" _I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what..."_


End file.
